Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Thursday, December 11, 2025, 4:26 p.m. / Updated Thursday, December 11, 2025, 4:26 p.m.
The Recorder documentary “Captured Justice”, in which prosecutors and judges complain about irregularities and corruption in the judicial system, provoked a reaction including from the former footballer Florin Gardoș, double champion of Romania. He commented on a clip from the conference held today by the management of the Bucharest Court of Appeal, in which the president of the court is dictated “from above” what to answer.
In less than 48 hours, “Captured Justice”, a two-hour documentary produced by Recorder, has passed 2.3 million views, including being broadcast by Romanian Television.
The investigation shows how “grand corruption files are buried systemically, famous defendants acquitted on appeal after they had received harsh years of imprisonment in the first instance, delayed processes until the facts reach the statute of limitations, final convictions reassessed and sponged off“.
The irregularities within the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA), the Bucharest Court of Appeal (CAB) and the Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) are addressed one by one.
Incredible moment at the Court of Appeal: “Lia called me, I'm going to talk”
Following the accusations launched in the investigation and the reaction of civil society, the management of the Court of Appeal organized a press conference today. During it, Recorder captured an amazing moment, in which the vice-president of the court, Ionela Tudor, whispers to the president Liana Arsenie that “Lia called me, I'm going to talk”.
The one mentioned is Lia Savonea, the president of the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the most important judicial forum in Romania, and one of the main targets of the Recorder investigation.
When she returns to the lectern, Ionela Tudor whispers again, not realizing that what she says is captured by the microphones: “It is excluded that Predoiu intervened… He did not suggest…”.
Liana Arsenie complies and says, broadly speaking, what was dictated to her: “The court did not feel that anyone had ever suggested anything. I didn't even know about that statement, I found out later. The minister's statements do not influence the solutions in the court files.”
It is about the case where the former Minister of Justice, Cătălin Predoiu, announced in advance, while the case was pending at the Court of Appeal, the acquittal that a panel of which judge Liana Arsenie was a part of would dictate LATER in the case in which Dan Hosu, the husband of former DIICOT head Giorgiana Hosu, was convicted of influence peddling and bribery.
Florin Gardoș, reaction to the incredible moment at the Court of Appeal: “May you have as many as possible!”
Former footballer Florin Gardoș also appeared in the comments of the viral Recorder post (18,000 likes in just one hour).
He wrote: “I'm making another donation to you, to have as many quality microphones as possible“.
It is not the first time that Gardoș speaks publicly in cases of alleged corruption. In February, the former defender told how it was damaged in the Nordis schemeafter buying two hotel rooms in Mamaia, worth approximately 170,000 euros.
Later, in July, he claimed that is considering moving his property development business to the UKas a reaction to the tax increase decided by the Bolojan Government.
