Prosecutors from the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Court ordered, on Thursday evening, the detention for 24 hours of 16 members of the Rapid gallery, in a case in which they are accused of illegally using pyrotechnic materials in stadiums during football matches.
Firecrackers, smoke detectors, torches were found. Photo: Inquam Photos / Octav Ganea (Archive)
Instead, the president of the Rapid club, Daniel Niculae, was released as a suspect.
The members of the Rapidului gallery hid the pyrotechnic materials, before the start of the matches, in a “secret room” set up in a men's toilet at the Giulesti Stadium, reveals the prosecutors' investigation.
According to the data from the investigation, on October 29, 2023, the gendarmes carried out a control in the North Peluza area of the Giulesti Stadium, section 119 – 120, where they found in a sanitary group intended for men four bags containing 371 pyrotechnic articles – firecrackers, smoke detectors , torches, black overalls and plastic masks, writes Agerpres.
The pyrotechnic materials were hidden in a space in the bathroom, hidden by a door in the wall covered with tiles.
The Prosecutor's Office attached to the Bucharest Court has charged 17 people in this case, including the president of the Rapid club, Daniel Niculae.
The accusations are of forming an organized criminal group, operations with pyrotechnic articles carried out without right, non-compliance with the arms and ammunition regime and destruction.
“In fact, it was noted that during the year 2023 an organized criminal group was established within the Bucharest city limits, to which several people joined and whose purpose was the introduction and use of pyrotechnic materials in the football stadiums, during the matches, the disturbance public order and peace through violence against property and the destruction of the playing surface through the use of pyrotechnic materials, causing the degradation of the lawn through the explosion of pyrotechnic materials, endangering the physical integrity of other people (ball players, stewards, football players, firefighters, reporters )“, the investigators said.
They found pyrotechnic materials, lethal firearms and white weapons at the residences of members of the Rapid gallery, following the searches carried out on Thursday in 19 locations in Bucharest and the counties of Ilfov, Prahova and Iasi.
In addition, the majority shareholder of FC Rapid Bucharest, Dan Şucu, said on Thursday, regarding the involvement of the president Daniel Niculae in a file regarding the introduction of pyrotechnic materials at football matches, that it is difficult for him to understand that the existence of lit torches would could lead to prison, even if they are outside the law.
