Romania prosecutors to probe Dr Silviu Ionescu who is recalled
from his post in Singapore
January 6, 2010
The Romania Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recalled Dr Silviu
Ionescu, the Romanian diplomat implicated in a hit-and-run accident
in Singapore three weeks ago from his post in Singapore, said a
statement on its website today.
However it will continue “its internal verification of the
manner in which Mr. Silviu Ionescu complied with diplomatic norms,
following the ongoing media allegations in this regard.”
The ministry also express its deep regrets of the accident and
extends its condolences to the family of Mr Tong Kok Wai, who died
in the accident:
“Romania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs deeply regrets the
occurrence of this accident, irrespective of its still unclarified
circumstances, especially as it ended with casualties and a loss of
a human life. The MFA conveys its condolences to the family of the
young man who died in the accident.”
In the meantime, the ministry has requested the Prosecutor’s
Office attached to the High Court of Casation and Justice of
Romania to investigate the accident at Bukit Panjang on December
15, 2009 which involved a black Audi A6 belonging to the Romanian
embassy.
With Dr Silviu Ionescu being recalled from his post, this means
that there is no need for him to return to Singapore.
The case is now entirely in the hands of the Romanian
authorities who shall decide whether to press charges against him
if he is found guilty of causing the accident.
In a similar case which rocked Romania in 2004, a Romanian rock
musician Teo Peter was killed on the spot in its capital Bucharest
when he was knocked over by a vehicle driven by U.S. Marine
Christopher Van Goethem, a security
guard stationed at the U.S. embassy.
Van Goethem was whisked out of
Romania back to the United States immediately on the same
day.
A U.S. military court subsequently
found him not guilty of “negligent homicide” but of committing
“adultery” with a secretary of the Romanian embassy and gave him a
letter of “reprimand”
Teo Peter’s family has sued for
damages in the U.S. civil court and the case is still
ongoing.
It now appears increasingly likely
that Dr Silviu Ionescu will go the way of Van Goethem with the
matter out of the jurisdiction of the Singapore
authorities.
Despite all the evidence pointing
towards Dr Silviu Ionescu as the prime suspect, he was allowed to
leave Singapore three days after the accident.
Three weeks later, the Singapore
police is still “investigating” the matter and Foreign Minister
George Yeo had nothing better to say other than:
“What happened is very
bad”.