Bihor charity network faces organized‑crime probe after police raids

Romanian anti‑organized‑crime investigators (DIICOT) and police carried out extensive searches on 30 June 2026 at several facilities in Bihor County run by the association “Bunul Samaritean”. The centre, overseen by 55‑year‑old Viorel Pașca, cares for about 380 vulnerable adults with disabilities. Prosecutors allege that the association was used as a front for an organized‑crime group that trafficked people, exploited them for material gain and misappropriated public funds, with estimated damages of more than 13 million lei.

Searches were performed at homes, company offices and a public institution, and dozens of documents and financial records were seized. Pașca, who says he has “nothing to hide and does not consider himself guilty”, claims the state continuously sends patients to his homes and that the accusations are unfounded. The investigation remains ongoing.

The case highlights concerns about the management of social‑care services in Romania and the potential for abuse of vulnerable populations under the guise of charitable work.