In France, the grandson of the King of Romania was detained in a corruption case
Kyiv • UNN
Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern, the grandson of the King of Romania, has been detained in France on charges of corruption and money laundering. Romania is seeking his extradition to serve a prison sentence.
Paul-Philippe Hohenzollern, the grandson of former Romanian King Carol II, has been detained in France and placed under house arrest at the request of the Romanian authorities. This was reported by Digi24 TV channel, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that he was detained in Paris on Monday morning. The Romanian Prosecutor's Office accuses Hohenzollern of corruption, money laundering and fraud with land plots that previously belonged to the royal family. The Romanian authorities intend to seek his extradition.
A descendant of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen dynasty, Paul-Philippe is the son of Carol Lambrino, the first son of Carol II. He calls himself the legitimate head of the Romanian royal house and has long challenged his status through the courts. In 2012, the country's Supreme Court of Cassation recognized his right to the Hohenzollern surname and legitimate origin.
In 2020, the same court sentenced Hohenzollern to 3 years and 4 months in prison for participating in corruption schemes and real estate fraud. At the time of the verdict, he was abroad. In early 2024, he was detained in Malta, but two months later he was released on bail. Then the local court refused to extradite him to Romania, citing his age and historical significance.
Paul-Philippe's lawyers claim that the criminal prosecution is political in nature and is related to the elections in Romania, which took place at the end of 2024. He himself declares the political motives of the case and calls the accusations "an instrument of pressure on the royal line."
