Romania: Diplomat Silviu Ionescu suspended from foreign ministry

February 4, 2010

Bucharest, Feb 4 /Agerpres/ - Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi decided to suspend diplomat Silviu Ionescu from the ministry starting Feb. 4, until a criminal case is conducted by the prosecutors with the Penal and Criminal Prosecution Office.

'Given the charges brought against Mr. Ionescu by the Prosecutor's Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, namely homicide, hit-and-run and false statements, the decision to suspend the labour relations is justified by the provisions of Article 60 of the Law on the Romanian diplomatic and consular corps' statutes', the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a release to Agerpres.

The ministry stressed it wants a fast clarification, in line with the law of the circumstances surrounding the car accident in which Ionescu was involved.

The prosecutors with the Penal and Criminal Prosecution Office have launched a criminal case against Silviu Ionescu, the Romanian ad interim charge d'affaires in Singapore.

The probe conducted so far reveals that Ionescu, while driving an embassy car on Dec. 15, 2009 in Singapore hit two persons who were correctly crossing the street at a traffic light-controlled crossroads. Ionescu ran from the site of the accident and continued to drive the vehicle, later hitting and injuring another three persons.

'One of the three victims died as a result of the serious injuries caused by the first crash, with the other two having also sustained injuries. After the two crashes, Ionescu told Singapore police that his vehicle had been stolen while in front of the Romanian embassy, a fact that was untrue and that he sustained in the statements made to the Singapore judicial authorities', the Prosecutor's Office with the High Court of Cassation and Justice said in a press release. AGERPRES

[www.romaniapress.com]

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