Businessman Mihai Erbasu was found dead yesterday, around 8.30 a.m., at his villa in Snagov (near Bucharest). Prosecutors are ruling out murder and considering either suicide or death by natural causes.
Mihai Erbasu was 62 years old and owned several companies operating in constructions, agriculture, tourism and the hotel industry. His business posted annual turnover worth more than 25 million dollars. The body of the businessman was found in the villa's pool, which was almost empty, thus ruling out drowning.
Attorney Paula Iacob, who is close to the Erbasu family, says that, as far as she knows, Mihai Erbasu had been under a lot of stress lately and was having blood pressure problems.
"He could have felt sick and fallen from the first floor into the pool, as he was dressed in his office clothes," the attorney maintained.
Judicial sources told the Mediafax news agency that the businessman was allegedly embroiled in financial problems, which could have triggered his suicide.
On the other hand, Cristian Erbasu, the oldest son of the businessman, told Ziarul Financiar "the company is in a normal situation."
"The group is run by a team, which will continue to run it," he added.
The chief police commissary Petre Popa yesterday said that Erbasu had allegedly attempted to hang himself in the basement, using the belt of a dressing-gown. The head of the Ilfov County Police added that the belt was found hanging in the basement of Erbasu's Snagov villa and the building bore "traces of precipitation."
Moreover, bloodstains were found at the second floor, according to chief police commissary Popa. The blood may be Erbasu's, as he supposedly hit his eyebrow before plunging nine metres into the waterless pool. When he fell, Mihai Erbasu was fully clothed and upon examination medical staff concluded he had fractured his ribs and left leg, as well as receiving several scratches and a gash on his cheek. Popa added that no glasses or bottles were found that could enable investigators to conclude that Erbasu had consumed alcohol before dying.
The chief police commissary said that the businessman's body was discovered by one of his employees, who was minding the villa and who announced the next of kin. In their turn, the family called the police.
The family members found several notes, and handed one of them to the police officials.
According to Popa, the sheet of paper was written on both sides and was in fact a suicide note. However, the Police cannot disclose the cause of death before the autopsy and further tests. According to the chief police commissary, the family has also discovered other documents.
Mihai Erbasu had gone to his villa in Snagov on Sunday and had talked to his family on the phone during the night, having decided to meet them the next day. Investigators cannot yet tell the exact time of death, which may have happened either during the night or on Monday morning.
miruna.lebedencu@zf.ro
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