Romanian Media Owner Sorin Ovidiu Vintu To Be Investigated For Money Laundering

Prosecutors said in a press release Thursday that Vintu, his driver Alexandru Stoian and Moldovan businessman Octavian Turcan were indicted on October 12 on charges of aiding and abetting Popa. The bill of indictment reads that Vantu will be investigated on charges of money laundering in a new file.

Vintu is accused of helping Popa flee the country before the latter was sentenced to 15 years in prison for defrauding 300,000 people in a massive Ponzi scheme. Vintu allegedly sent Popa money while he was abroad.

According to prosecutors, Vintu sent Popa EUR70,000 in the October 2009 - January 2010 interval. The money, which was aimed to help the convict hide from the police, was transferred through two accomplices, Turcan and Stoian, prosecutors said.

On December 2, Popa was arrested in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Romanian Justice Ministry sent Indonesian authorities a request to extradite Popa.

According to prosecutors, Vintu and Stoian tried to hinder extradition procedures so that Popa would not be imprisoned.

Vintu, Stoian and Turcan had been detained early September and placed under arrest for 29 days. The three were released from arrest on September 16 to be investigated at large.

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