Singapore police has not ruled out Dr Silviu Ionescu as a suspect in its “investigations”
December 30th, 2009 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Two weeks after a hit and run accident with the prime suspect already out of Singapore, the police would only say they had “not ruled out any suspect surfaced in the course of their investigations” and that “investigations were still under way with officers ‘following up on all available leads’.”
On Christmas Day, one of the victims, 31-year-old Tong Kok Wai, died after he was taken off life support at the National University Hospital. He had suffered severe brain damage.
In an earlier interview, Dr Ionescu said he and his driver came out of the embassy at about 3am on Dec 15 and discovered that the car was missing. They immediately made a police report.
However the driver claimed that he was sleeping in his room and knew of the missing car only when Dr Ionescu called and told him about it.
Two eye witnesses at the accident saw the driver of the black Audi and had described his features to the Singapore Police. Dr Ionescu remained in Singapore for a week before he left. His current whereabouts is unknown.
Dr Ionescu is the highest-ranking Romanian Embassy official in Singapore. Diplomats of his status are generally granted legal immunity in their host countries under an international agreement known as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The convention’s provisions became law here in 2005.
Under the agreement, a diplomatic agent, who can be the head of a mission or a member of the diplomatic staff, is immune from the host country’s criminal laws.
An earlier letter by Mr Sudesh Maniar from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Straits Times Forum had assured Singaporeans that “members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps must respect the laws and regulations of Singapore, despite their diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention and that “this immunity is intended to protect them only in the discharge of their duties.”
As expected, the Attorney-General’s Chambers could not immediately respond when asked to confirm if a diplomat of Dr Ionescu’s status is immune from prosecution until a waiver from the host country is secured.
The case has attracted widespread public attention with many Singaporeans eager to know who the culprit is. With the Singapore police still conducting their “investigations”, it will probably take quite a while before action is taken, if any at all.
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I hope this doesn’t get sweep under the carpet like everything else…A young life is lost due to a drunk liar under the guise of diplomatic immunity.
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Shows the farcical nature of diplomatic immunity, use it & abuse it. Looks like no justice for the victims.
Does not the host country look stupid & the police force totally ineffective in this incident?
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“As expected, the Attorney-General’s Chambers could not immediately respond when asked to confirm if a diplomat of Dr Ionescu’s status is immune from prosecution until a waiver from the host country is secured.
As usual, the AG highly likely to ask for permission from Old Fart in this very very complex case. Very complex case for AG, but very simple case of justice for citizens.
When Dr Chee and his accomplices acquitted of charge, he no need to ask old fart whether to upturn the downturn to appeal to overturn the ruling. But when car-killing-human accident occurs for high-ranking FT who will generate GDP for Leegime, he need to ask for permission ?
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The suspect has already left Singapore. So what if the investigation concludes later that he is the culprit?
The Singapore Foolish Force should buck up and stop being complacent and so incompetent!
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Correction if I may (I also stand corrected).
“Under the agreement, a diplomatic agent, who can be the head of a mission or a member of the diplomatic staff, is immune from the host country’s criminal laws.”
Should be BOTH criminal and civil law. Diplomats also CANNOT be sued under civill law, with some exceptions. Bottomline, technically, the law CANNOT TOUCH THEM.
“An earlier letter by Mr Sudesh Maniar from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Straits Times Forum had assured Singaporeans that “members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps must respect the laws and regulations of Singapore, despite their diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention and that “this immunity is intended to protect them only in the discharge of their duties.”
Talk cock sing song, this Sudesh Maniar. Whatever they did CRIMINALLY whether or not in the discharge of their duties is UNTOUCHABLE unless immunity is waived by their host country.
Even a small Trainee Policeman or law undergraduate would know that, its surprising that someone from the MFA is so bloody ignorant or are they simply of the belief that Sinkaporeans will take whatever wayang thats put forth?
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Everyone, please be objective here. Diplomats are above the law unless their native governments agree to wave diplomatic immunity. While criticizing the government is fine when they screw-up, in this case, if Dr. Ionescu is really the driver, then the only thing the government can do is to expel him or at the very worst, break off diplomatic relations with Romania. This is the same in any country. In the 1980s, Libyan diplomats murdered a young British policewoman. All the British government could do in the end was to break off diplomatic relations with Libya, since the Libyan government refused to identify the diplomat(s) involved, let alone waive immunity.
By the way, this has nothing to do with race as some have suggested. With regards to the Michael Fay case, everyone, please remember a Chinese boy from Hong Kong was also involved. He had his sentence reduced by half as opposed to one-third for Michael Fay, and in the end, to add insult to injury and injustice, then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong even visited the Hong Kong boy’s family to tell them the “good news” and even praised them for raising their son “well” in the Confucianist tradition.
A much better comparison for injustice in the legal system would be the incredible leniency shown towards Regan Lee and the Chief Editor of the Shin Min Daily News for their reckless driving that killed two innocent young girls in two separate accidents as compared to the unjustifiably harsh sentence actor Christopher Lee was subjected to.
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What so difficult for the police to resolve this case?
a. There were witnesses to the accident. How many ang mos steal cars in Singapore? If the driver had caucasian features then the two prime suspects are Dr Ionescu and the driver, who was reportedly a Romanian. Dr Ionescu should have been asked to stay in Singapore to help in the investigations.
b. Whose other fingerprints were in the car? Who were the other drivers allowed to drive the car? It is unlikely for someone to steal the car and run down pedestrians with it. If the only finger prints are those of Dr Ionescu and the driver, then they are the two prime suspects.
c. Is there any evidence that the car was tampered with, broken into or the ignition bypassed to start the car? Modern cars are equipped with sophisticated immobilizers that deter car thieves, especially those who steal cars for a joy ride. If Audi cars are so easily broken into, then I give them a wide berth. Have the Audi agents been interviewed for their views on whether the car has been broken into or not?
d. If the car was abandoned at Sungei Kadut, a remote and obscure area in Singapore, surely somebody or some taxi driver would have given them a lift out of the area. Did the police check this possibility? I have not heard of any island wide appeal for witnesses to help out.
d. The stories of Dr Ionescu and the driver and the timings of the accident and the reporting of loss of the car do not tally. Simple logic could have determined that.
The longer the police delay in apprehending the criminal, the colder the trail will be and the harder to secure a conviction. I just hope that it will not take a few years to resolve it as seen in their other cases.
Maybe the police, quoting WKS would just say, “it happened, let’s move on”.
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I was reading a copy of The New Paper today,where the paper interviewed the Romanian ambassador to Singapore.
The ambassador didn’t reveal much in the interview, only to state that there shouldn’t be any jump to conclusions, and that he will only comment once he has official reports from Singapore.
I am also unsure if foreign diplomats are totally immune from the law, especially if a crime has been committed. I read that should there be such an event, the worst case scenario would be to send the diploamt back to the home country, and ban him/her from entering Singapore again.
In any case, Dr Ionescu has already left the country, and according to the Romanian ambassador, he “has no idea when he will return”.
I am also interested to see how the foreign ministry deals with this, as this would set a precedent for future cases, if any.
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When the news broke regarding the incident, even my grandma suspected that the embassy staff is somehow involved considering the details. Yet our Singapore Folish Force (SFF)is still investigating.
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in recent times,we read how some poor illegal “refugees” were trying to enter singapore-full of hopes- with the professional service of some illegal malaysain syndicates but lost their lives while being chased by our PLOICE COAST GUARDS?!!!
I was just wondering why our Police could humanly allow them first to step safely on ground or throw them some life-jackets or put them safely into rescue boats before ‘threatening’ them?
with their experience,i am sure our policemen could easily do better.
but,when it comes to people such as the above culprit,it irks me how they could so undramticaly leave our airport,seaport without any issue?
this is the same as how the world,including the USA,handles
teh recent financial scams whose culprits are the WHO AND WHO of WALLSTREETS…not surprisingly,poor taxpayers even got to bail them out?
what’s this GLOBALISED world becomimg…a LAND FOR THE ABUSE OF THE PEOPLES BY RICH AND POWERFUL ELITES?
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Let’s watch the show and bet which country is stronger ?
First half, Dr Silviu Ionescu from Romania win.
Second half…….answer is very clear.
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As usual the foreigner gets away!
Fish can i be a PR of this country instead.
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I think is more of the fault of the embassy when they allowed the diplomat to go back to his country when the case is still investigating.
Many people her had mentioned – “Under the agreement, a diplomatic agent, who can be the head of a mission or a member of the diplomatic staff, is immune from the host country’s criminal laws.” Basically there is nothing we can do.
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C’mons guys, this is really going no where and a complete waste of time debating on.
For the purpose of discussion: Assuming that the Diplomat is the culprit.
Even a moron can guess that the Romanian Embassy’s in charge is FULLY AWARE of what had happened and ‘advised’ and ‘arranged’ for the culprit to leave.
The Police is NOT inefficient and should not take the blame for something they CANNOT handle, this matter is COMPLETELY out of the hands of the Police, ANY RANK for that matter.
Plainly put, AGC lan lan, MHA also lan lan and MFA, only can spin and wayang and delay until Sinkaporenas forget.
All this crap talk from MFA about can be prosecuted if not official duty, simi lan jiao is all BULLSHIT and they know it better than anyone else.
They are merely ’seen to be doing their job’ but deep down under, know fully well that there is NOTHING they can do.
If a Moron can guess who the culprit was, can’t we all? Simi lan jiao investigation ongoing, complete BULLSHIT.
Police investigating? Talk cock and sing song, since when does the Police have the power to investigate, arrest and charge a Diplomat without the home country EXPRESSLY waiving immunity FIRST and then instructions from the AGC?
Anyone can quote a remote case ANYWHERE in the world?
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all said,we are a small island and despite priding themselves
of being highly capable and super efficient,i can’t imagine this chap can simply leave the country when he is a prime suspect.
immunity or not,it smells of “dirty play” in action.
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There is only one thing left to do to obtain some form of justice for the poor victim(s). And that is for concerned citizens to sign petition and apply pressure on the Romanian Government (we can stage a protest here, our Foolish Force will haul all protesters to court, or maybe Onraet Rd Detention Centre).
The other alternative is to nuke Bucharest.
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Peaceful demo… While not? Can try apply police permit even… If cannot, go ahead anyway. It’ll still be in the news what.
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singapore has become a playground for foreigners and a shit-hole for locals hahaha
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This is not a matter about foreigners vs locals, it is simply a matter of diplomatic immunity which is the same everywhere in the world! Similarly, in Romania, US embassy staff killed in a car accident two Romanians. The American driver was drunk and crossed on the red light and the victims were some local celebrities. But it did not matter. The next day, the US government took the culprit staff out of the country and that was it. Same thing anywhere in the world, as long as diplomatic staff is involved. It is unfortunate, but we should not generalise and make this a case of foreigners vs locals, because it isn’t. It is simply diplomatic immunity.
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My deepest condolence and sympathies to the families of the deceased and the other victim still under treatment.
If we are the victims, how would we feel? I hope SINKAPOREANS and those with a kind heart, please do your least to help the victims’ families to seek JUSTICE with our strong joint pressure to those relevant authorities concerned for them TO WAKE UP AND ACT FAST, DON’T ZZZZZY ANYMORE !!!
SINKAPOREANS, I am sure you know who to vote in the next GE…
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