Romanian businessman Viorel Pașca faces court hearing on human‑trafficking charges

Romanian court officials delayed the decision on Viorel Pașca’s appeal, with the Bucharest Court of Appeal setting a new hearing date for Monday. Prosecutors from DIICOT continue to press charges of human trafficking and forming an organized criminal group, calling for preventive detention.

At the courtroom exit, Pașca expressed regret if he broke the law but emphasized his intention to provide housing for vulnerable people, describing his projects as “homes where people feel they belong” rather than institutional shelters. He defended the use of volunteer contracts for staff at the facilities.

The case remains under judicial review, with the outcome pending the upcoming decision on the appeal.