A politico survey reveals the full extent of the Potra Empire and its influence on the Pro-Georgescu campaign which plunged Romania into crisis. Based on commercial files, financial transactions, prosecutor’s files, land registers and initiating testimonies, this research reveals a portrait of a man who has raised both large wealth and powerful connections through his mercenaries activities. This also raises crucial questions about his links with Moscow.
Royal bodyguard
Potra is a man who was shaped by war.
Now 54 years old, the original legionnaire of Transylvania has perfected his physique for a five -year stay in the French Foreign Legion before spending almost 30 years as a private security operation. Its shaved head and its stocky construction now recall the figure of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
Double French Romanian citizen, he has already been a personal bodyguard for the royal family of Qatar. But it was in Africa where he had his career. Initially, he continued his work in the private sector, providing security services to political leaders and businessmen.
It was a work that brought it through the continent, including in the Central African Republic, in Darfur in Sudan, Gambia and Senegal. In his CV, Potra also described how he supervised operations for the Romanian-Romanian-Australian magnate, Frank Timiș in Burkina Faso, Niger and Sierra Leone.
These contracts, and many others, helped him to raise millions of dollars, but also to political influence, in power and, inevitably, to detractors.
Politices
