Fmr Romanian Envoy To Face 13 Indictment Counts In Singapore Over Hit-And-Run

Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a press release, charges include causing death by reckless driving, causing grievous hurt through a rash act, and failing to stop, help or lodge a police report after the accidents.

According to The Straits Times, the ministry said it had summoned Aurelian Neagu, the Romanian Ambassador to Singapore, who is based in Tokyo, to a meeting next week to discuss the charges.

Lawyers said Ionescu has to be in Singapore to answer the charges, but he enjoys diplomatic immunity Romania might not lift.

Lifting diplomatic immunity for Ionescu is unlikely, because Romania and Singapore don't have an extradition treaty, The Straits Times reported Thursday, citing Romania's Ambassador to Singapore Aurelian Neagu.

A Singapore court found Wednesday that Ionescu, 49, the former charge d'affaires, drove the embassy car that hit three pedestrians on December 15, including Malaysian Tong Kok Wai, who later died of his injuries.

State Coroner Victor Yeo concluded from the inquiry that Ionescu was the man behind the wheel at the time of the fatal hit-and-run in Bukit Panjang. Yeo also said that the ex-envoy's behavior from the time of the accident was "not only cowardly and irresponsible, to say the least, but utterly deplorable".

According to reports in the Straits Times, the State Coroner said Ionescu deliberately lied when he told police that the Audi A6, owned by the Romanian embassy, was stolen.

Ionescu continues to deny any wrongdoing and says authorities in Singapore had already decided he was guilty before the inquest.

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