The Romanian Ministry of Defence has uncovered that hundreds of former military personnel, after being transferred to the reserves, signed contracts with private security firms operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This finding came following a detailed investigation into the activities of both reservists and some active-duty soldiers.
Among the individuals identified were 466 reservists who had left the military due to age limits, resignation, or medical reasons. These individuals were found to be working in security roles in Congo. More concerning, however, was the discovery that seven active-duty soldiers had also taken part in these activities while on parental leave — a period legally granted for childcare until the child turns two. These actions were reportedly carried out under the command of Horațiu Potra, a controversial mercenary known for his ties to pro-Russian political figures.
The investigation revealed that these military personnel violated several regulations, including unauthorized international travel and involvement in activities unrelated to their official duties. Of the seven active-duty soldiers involved, three are still on parental leave, while four have returned to their posts. One case has already been referred to the Military Prosecutor’s Office, and legal proceedings are being prepared for the others.
In addition to legal steps, the ministry has launched administrative and disciplinary measures, awaiting the prosecutor’s conclusions regarding potential criminal charges.
Notably, 24 of the reservists who had worked in Congo were reinstated into military service between 2023 and 2024 and assigned to various units. The Ministry has clarified that these individuals do not pose a major security threat, as they occupy lower-level roles with limited access to classified data. Nonetheless, additional monitoring and verification procedures have been put in place for each case.
Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that he has ordered an urgent review of the circumstances that enabled these breaches and called for stricter preventive mechanisms to avoid similar incidents in the future.
