Far-right populist Calin Georgescu has been detained by police as part of an inquiry by prosecutors into election campaign fraud after he came from nowhere to win the first round of last year’s presidential election.

 Georgescu was stopped in traffic in the capital, Bucharest, on Wednesday.

Two right-wing populist parties said they were mobilizing their supporters to head for the prosecutor’s office, where Georgescu was taken for questioning.

Romanian reports said police were erecting barriers around the building.

Prosecutors have made a series of allegations against Georgescu, according to Romanian reports, including acts against the constitutional order and involvement in an extremist organization.