Update: Romanian health entrepreneur Ilie Vonica dies after alleged suicide attempt, media reports

Romanian businessman Ilie Vonica, who owns the Polisano private health group, one of the largest in Romania, allegedly tried to commit suicide by throwing himself from the top floor of his house in Sibiu, according to Digi 24 news channel. A neighbor, who saw him jump, called the emergency and a crew from the SMURD transported Vonica to the Polisano Hospital in Sibiu, which he owns, where he was to undergo surgery. He was in critical condition. Local media from Sibiu reports that he died at the hospital. The Romanian media link Vonica’s suicide attempt to his involvement in a fraud scandal with fake cancer medicine prescriptions, which were being cleared through the pharmacy chain which Vonica owns. It is presumed that the sums thus cleared amount to some EUR 3.5 million, accoding to Digi 24. Vonica’s wife, Ioana Daniela Vonica, was one of the nine people arrested for 30 days in this case two weeks ago. Yesterday, June 2, the Bucharest Court of Appeal denied the request to free them, Sibiu newspaper Turnul Sfatului reports. Ilie Vonica is one of the richest men in Sibiu, with a personal wealth EUR 95 million, according to Forbes Romania. In recent years, he invested some EUR 12 million into a new factory which produces drugs for cancer and opened a private hospital in Sibiu, in 2013, following an estimated EUR 60 million investment. He started his health business in 1993, and in 2012 his group reached EUR 300 million in revenues and more than 2,000 employees. His business also includes a drug store chain, five private health clinics a dialysis clinic and several fertility clinics. editor@romania-insider.com (photo source: Polisano Facebook page)