Media mogul Sorin Ovidiu Vantu is released

Newsroom 16/09/2010 | 17:12

The Bucharest Court of Appeal decided to free media mogul Sorin Ovidiu Vantu, with two votes in favor and one against.

Vantu was withheld as he was investigated in relation to the flight out of the country of Nicolae Popa, former manager of Gelsor. He is charged with helping Popa escape after being sentenced to 15 years in prison, following his involvement in the FNI scandal, one of the major scams in Romania, in which 300,000 people lost their money.

Vantu was one of several people investigated in this case, alongside Alex Stoian, Vantu’s driver, and Octavian Turcan, a citizen from the Moldova Republic, who have also been freed.

Even though they were freed, the three accused have to observe several interdictions: they are not to change their address or wear a gun without the approval of the court.

Vantu also has to observe the interdiction of not getting in contact with businessman Turcan, with Nicolae Popa, who is in police custody in Jakarta, or with the latter’s brother.