Fmr Romanian Envoy Unlikely To Face Charges In Singapore Over Hit-And-Run – Ambassador

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.

Ionescu, who left Singapore for Romania three days after the accident, scoffed at evidence given by 54 witnesses at the March 3-10 coroner hearing, the newspaper said.

Romania's Ambassador to Singapore told the paper it will be very difficult to bring Ionescu to justice in Singapore, because the country doesn't have an extradition treaty with Romania. He also couldn't say whether Ionescu would face charges in his home country.

Singaporeans responded to their State Coroner's verdict on Wednesday by saying that the authorities should do everything possible to bring Ionescu to justice in Singapore.

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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