Liviu Dragnea, the leader of Romania's Social Democrat Party, is at the National Anticorruption Department in Bucharest on November 21, 2017 | Alexandru Dobre/AFP via Getty Images Romanian prosecutors freeze ruling party leader’s assets Liviu Dragnea is being investigated for forming an organized crime group and siphoning off EU funding.

Romanian prosecutors on Tuesday froze the assets of Liviu Dragnea, the leader of Romania's ruling Social Democratic Party and the speaker of the lower house of parliament, while they investigate whether he formed a "criminal group" to take money from state- and EU-funded projects.

Dragnea's personal assets total 127.5 million Romanian lei (€27.4 million), according to a statement issued by the Romanian National Anti-Corruption Directorate. He was indicted on November 13 on fraud charges, and denies all allegations against him.

"I definitely do not feel guilty," local media reported him saying. "I have never formed a criminal group.”

The prosecutor said it believes the organized crime group was formed in 2001 and is still active. Dragnea's alleged crimes center on a road-building company called Tel Drum, which prosecutors say he and others had planned to privatize and bring under Dragnea's influence. Dragnea is accused of securing EU development funds for Tel Drum by fabricating documents during his time at the head of a local council in 2008.

Protesters and members of the opposition were waiting for Dragnea at the prosecutors' office Tuesday, calling for his resignation.

Dragnea is also currently on trial in a separate case, involving abuse of office. He is disqualified from becoming prime minister because of a previous conviction for trying to rig a national referendum in 2012.

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