The head of Romgaz threatened by Frank Timiș’s mercenary over a strategic contract.

Adrian Volintiru, the general director of SNGN Romgaz, was threatened in February that he would be kidnapped and taken into a forest if he had somehow forgotten that “who put him in that position” and that he needed “to return something”.

The case, initiated following Volintiru’s complaint, is now being handled by the Prosecutor’s Office in Bucharest. Prosecutors have already placed Horațiu Potra from Mediaș under judicial control. Potra is the head of the security division of African Minerals, a company owned by the controversial businessman Frank Timiș, the founder of the “Roșia Montană”.

Horațiu Potra is a veteran of the French Foreign Legion who later became a private contractor in various African civil wars. He began working at Frank Timiș’s headquarters in London in 2012, while Romanian police were investigating him at the time for drug trafficking.

What is certain is that on February 12, Adrian Volintiru received the following text message from an unknown number:
“Good day, director, we wish you good luck in business as well as in your politically appointed position. You forgot the rule: when you live well, you have to give something back. You don’t keep your promises, you’ve forgotten who put you there. We’ll remind you quickly! We hope you like the forests of Bazna or Blăjel as much as you like women. We’ll take a walk to familiarize you—these are hidden places, hard to access! Be wise, enjoy the pool at the neighboring Expro hotel, and don’t make us travel to Transylvania—it will be bad for you and your loved ones! Good luck!”

The next message was even more direct: “We are coming!”

The phone number from which the threats were sent was identified through triangulation by officers from the Special Operations Directorate and was located in Horațiu Potra’s car.

RISE Project revealed in 2012 that the former legionnaire, who holds dual Romanian-French citizenship, was involved in multiple military operations on the African continent, as well as in arms and diamond trafficking.

Part of the money was allegedly laundered through the Romanian Orthodox Church involving a high figures of the clergy.

When contacted by RISE, the head of Romgaz declined to comment on the situation, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.

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Frank Timiș, Potra’s employer, did not answer the phone. However, RISE has learned that he is in discussions with Romgaz regarding a contract aimed at increasing gas production using new technology.

Born in Borșa, Maramureș, the mining magnate spends most of his time in Africa, where in recent years he has amassed hundreds of millions of euros.

Through his holding company, Timiș Corporation, and dozens of other shell companies, Timiș has gradually taken control of vast mineral deposits in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Liberia, Niger, and Burkina Faso.

In other words, he bribed authorities and received access to strategic resources—ranging from oil and gas to diamonds and gold. His companies are listed on alternative stock exchanges in Canada and the UK. In 1990s Romania, he orchestrated the Roșia Montană project.

The country’s proven gas reserves are aging, and experts estimate they will be depleted within 15 years. To address this, massive investments are needed to discover and exploit new gas deposits.

Alternatively, modern technologies could be used to enhance extraction efficiency in existing fields.

For example, deposits considered exhausted could still provide significant amounts of gas, but current technologies are outdated. Private producers are hesitant to invest due to an unpredictable tax framework. Energy experts cite the offshore law and Government Emergency Ordinance 114/2018—introduced by the Dragnea-Vîlcov tandem and passed by the Dăncilă government—which imposed additional taxes on energy companies.

Romania’s natural gas production is dominated by two players, covering 97% of the market: OMV Petrom (55% of total production) and the state-owned Romgaz (41%).

Overall, domestic production hovers around 11 billion cubic meters annually. However, in 2019, Russian gas imports surged, covering 67% of the country’s consumption.