{"id":39479,"date":"2020-06-30T23:36:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T21:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.riseproject.ro\/?p=39479"},"modified":"2025-03-26T23:53:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T21:53:45","slug":"the-head-of-romgaz-threatened-by-frank-timiss-mercenary-over-a-strategic-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.riseproject.ro\/en\/the-head-of-romgaz-threatened-by-frank-timiss-mercenary-over-a-strategic-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"The head of Romgaz threatened by Frank Timi\u0219’s mercenary over a strategic contract."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case, initiated following Volintiru’s complaint, is now being handled by the Prosecutor’s Office in Bucharest. Prosecutors have already placed Hora\u021biu Potra from Media\u0219 under judicial control. Potra is the head of the security division of African Minerals, a company owned by the controversial businessman Frank Timi\u0219, the founder of the “Ro\u0219ia Montan\u0103”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hora\u021biu Potra (left) threatened and blackmailed Adrian Volintiru, the director of Romgaz.<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hora\u021biu 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 Timi\u0219’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 Bl\u0103jel as much as you like women. We’ll take a walk to familiarize you\u2014these are hidden places, hard to access! Be wise, enjoy the pool at the neighboring Expro hotel, and don\u2019t make us travel to Transylvania\u2014it will be bad for you and your loved ones! Good luck!”

The next message was even more direct: “We are coming!”<\/p>\n\n\n

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Hora\u021biu Potra, in the Mali desert. PHOTO via Facebook.<\/mark><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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The phone number from which the threats were sent was identified through triangulation by officers from the Special Operations Directorate and was located in Hora\u021biu Potra’s car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the money was allegedly laundered through the Romanian Orthodox Church involving a high figures of the clergy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When contacted by RISE, the head of Romgaz declined to comment on the situation, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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