Romanian businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vantu to be freed

The Romanian Court of Appeals decided on Thursday to put controversial Romanian businessman Sorin Ovidiu Vantu free. Vantu had been retained last week under charges related to helping a sentenced fugitive. The court decided on Thursday that two other people investigated in the same case be freed.

Sorin Ovidiu Vantu and another man currently under inquiry – Ovidiu Turcan – have a ban on leaving the country. Magistrates voted 2-1 in favor of SO Vantu, Ovidiu Turcan and Alexandru Stoian (the third indicted person) being freed.

Vantu – a prominent businessman with major political and intelligence connections, who was involved in major financial scandals a decade ago and who owns media group Realitatea – was retained for 24 hours last Thursday. The same day, magistrates decided to put him under 29-day arrest at prosecutors’ request. On Wednesday, Vantu showed up to defend his case in his appeal to the 29 day-arrest and accused Romanian President Traian Basescu of hunting him down.

He and the other two are accused of favoring fugitive Nicolae Popa, a former manager of Gelsor group who was sentenced to 15 years for the collapse of the National Investments Fund (FNI) scheme a decade ago).