Adrian Nastase, Romania’s ex-PM, in suicide attempt

Former Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase has attempted to commit suicide by shooting himself in the head but he eventually shot his neck.

The incident occurred when police arrived at Adrian Nastase’s house to take him to prison, local media reports say.

Hours earlier Romania’s highest court had upheld a two-year prison sentence against Adrian Nastase on corruption charges.

Adrian Nastase, 62, who held office between 2000 and 2004, was convicted for illegally amassing about 1.5 million Euros ($1.9 million) for his 2004 election campaign.

He insisted that the charges were politically motivated.

Current Prime Minister Victor Ponta, a party colleague of Adrian Nastase, visited him in hospital after the incident.

Adrian Nastase’s condition was “under control”, Victor Ponta told the Associated Press news agency.

Having exhausted legal challenges available to him in Romania, Adrian Nastase’s lawyers indicated he may appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

Adrian Nastase is the most senior political figure to be convicted by a court in Romania since the fall of communism in 1989.

The European Union has in recent years put pressure on Romania to crack down on corruption among public officials.