Ilie Cheșa, the former deputy mayor of Arad, is now embroiled in a legal battle to return €120,000, following his admission of misusing European Union funds. The Ministry of Investments and European Projects has initiated a civil case against Cheșa, aiming to recover the misappropriated funds. This legal action was registered at the Arad Court in June 2026, with a hearing date yet to be set.

Cheșa's legal troubles began to unfold publicly in April 2026 when he accepted a two-year suspended sentence from the Timiș Court. This sentence followed his admission of guilt in a scheme that involved the clandestine management of three startup companies from 2018 to 2022. Cheșa, along with two unnamed accomplices, falsified documents to simulate business development and meet EU funding criteria.

The fraudulent activities included creating false attestations that the firms met specific requirements such as completing employee training, maintaining job creation, and achieving revenue targets from initial grant tranches. In total, 114 falsified documents were annulled and ordered for destruction by the Timiș Court.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office, led by Laura Codruța Kövesi, played a significant role in dismantling the fraud scheme. The EPPO's Timișoara office coordinated the investigation, revealing the toxic mechanism behind the misuse of funds. The recognition agreements announced in December 2025 helped avoid actual detention for Cheșa, as he admitted his guilt.

Cheșa resigned from his position as deputy mayor in October 2025, a move seen as preventive before the case became public. Subsequently, he lost his leadership role in the PSD Arad municipal organization in December 2025. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Cheșa has refused to comment on the new civil case initiated by the Ministry of Investments.