Ex-diplomat’s account does not tally with evidence
Car not stolen outside Romanian embassy, as claimed by him
By Teh Joo Lin 11 March 2010
Former Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu’s account of what happened in the early hours of Dec 15 last year, when he said the embassy’s Audi A6 sedan was stolen, was presented in court yesterday.
But it did not square with the evidence offered by the more than 50 witnesses who have testified in the Coroner’s Court in the last six days.
They were giving evidence for the inquiry into the death of Mr. Tong Kok Wai, 30, a victim of a hit-and-run accident on Dec 15 who was so badly hurt that he had to be taken off life support 10 days later.
Dr. Ionescu, 49, did not attend the hearing to which he had been invited. He had claimed that he had to return to Romania for medical treatment.
Yesterday’s final witness, Station Inspector Raimi Yusof, an investigation officer with the Traffic Police, read out a statement made by Dr. Ionescu to the police nine hours after the accident.
In it, Dr. Ionescu claimed he discovered the locked car stolen from outside the Romanian embassy at about 3am on Dec 15, shortly before the accident.
Station Insp Raimi, citing parts from a 19-page report put together from police interviews with the witnesses, forensic evidence and from viewing clips from closed-circuit televisions, painted a different picture.
He told the court that findings by the police pointed to one conclusion - that the former diplomat was ‘criminally concerned’ in the death of Mr. Tong as well as the injuries sustained by his friend, Mr. Bong Hwee Haw, 24, and Mr. Haris Abu Talib, 18, another pedestrian who was hit 140m down the road.
Dr. Ionescu had been at the wheel of the Audi A6 at the time of the Bukit Panjang Road accident, Station Insp Raimi declared. He added that the Romanian then abandoned the car in Sungei Kadut Avenue and hailed a cab home.
‘On the allegations by Dr. Ionescu concerning the theft of the car, the evidence... shows that the car had not been stolen outside the Romanian embassy, as claimed by him,’ said Station Insp Raimi in his report.
His testimony capped the six-day inquiry in which witnesses included a KTV relationship manager and a Korean soprano.
Yesterday, details emerged about Dr. Ionescu’s claim that his car was stolen.
He told police that he returned to the embassy off Farrer Road after a session at a karaoke lounge at 2am, and found out about the theft an hour later.
‘At about 3am, when I was ready to go back to my residence in Grange Road from my office, I looked out from my window and I realised that my car... was missing,’ he told police.
He asked his driver, Mr. Marius Trusca, to drive him around the neighbourhood in another of the embassy’s cars to look for the missing Audi. He said they gave up on the search ‘15 to 20 minutes’ later.
But the evidence offered by other witnesses say otherwise.
Dr. Ionescu said he drove straight to the embassy from the KTV lounge, but a security guard at Hillcrest Arcadia told the court he saw the Romanian drive into the condominium at 2.40am.
Dr. Ionescu, who was dropping off Korean opera singer Jeong Ae Ree at her home, drove out about 20 minutes later.
Shortly after, bartender Mohamed Noor Hussain said he saw Dr. Ionescu driving the car and hitting the three pedestrians in Bukit Panjang.
State Coroner Victor Yeo is expected to deliver his findings at the end of this month.
Mr. Tong’s widow Yenny Young, 31, was in court for most of the six days with her mother-in-law. Her lawyer, Mr. Subhas Anandan, was also there to help her with the case.
She returns to Indonesia today but will return for the findings.
She said: ‘I am grateful to the witnesses and my lawyer for helping the court.’
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Ex-diplomat’s account does not tally with evidence
Car not stolen outside Romanian embassy, as claimed by him
By Teh Joo Lin
11 March 2010
Former Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu’s account of what happened in the early hours of Dec 15 last year, when he said the embassy’s Audi A6 sedan was stolen, was presented in court yesterday.
But it did not square with the evidence offered by the more than 50 witnesses who have testified in the Coroner’s Court in the last six days.
They were giving evidence for the inquiry into the death of Mr. Tong Kok Wai, 30, a victim of a hit-and-run accident on Dec 15 who was so badly hurt that he had to be taken off life support 10 days later.
Dr. Ionescu, 49, did not attend the hearing to which he had been invited. He had claimed that he had to return to Romania for medical treatment.
Yesterday’s final witness, Station Inspector Raimi Yusof, an investigation officer with the Traffic Police, read out a statement made by Dr. Ionescu to the police nine hours after the accident.
In it, Dr. Ionescu claimed he discovered the locked car stolen from outside the Romanian embassy at about 3am on Dec 15, shortly before the accident.
Station Insp Raimi, citing parts from a 19-page report put together from police interviews with the witnesses, forensic evidence and from viewing clips from closed-circuit televisions, painted a different picture.
He told the court that findings by the police pointed to one conclusion - that the former diplomat was ‘criminally concerned’ in the death of Mr. Tong as well as the injuries sustained by his friend, Mr. Bong Hwee Haw, 24, and Mr. Haris Abu Talib, 18, another pedestrian who was hit 140m down the road.
Dr. Ionescu had been at the wheel of the Audi A6 at the time of the Bukit Panjang Road accident, Station Insp Raimi declared. He added that the Romanian then abandoned the car in Sungei Kadut Avenue and hailed a cab home.
‘On the allegations by Dr. Ionescu concerning the theft of the car, the evidence... shows that the car had not been stolen outside the Romanian embassy, as claimed by him,’ said Station Insp Raimi in his report.
His testimony capped the six-day inquiry in which witnesses included a KTV relationship manager and a Korean soprano.
Yesterday, details emerged about Dr. Ionescu’s claim that his car was stolen.
He told police that he returned to the embassy off Farrer Road after a session at a karaoke lounge at 2am, and found out about the theft an hour later.
‘At about 3am, when I was ready to go back to my residence in Grange Road from my office, I looked out from my window and I realised that my car... was missing,’ he told police.
He asked his driver, Mr. Marius Trusca, to drive him around the neighbourhood in another of the embassy’s cars to look for the missing Audi. He said they gave up on the search ‘15 to 20 minutes’ later.
But the evidence offered by other witnesses say otherwise.
Dr. Ionescu said he drove straight to the embassy from the KTV lounge, but a security guard at Hillcrest Arcadia told the court he saw the Romanian drive into the condominium at 2.40am.
Dr. Ionescu, who was dropping off Korean opera singer Jeong Ae Ree at her home, drove out about 20 minutes later.
Shortly after, bartender Mohamed Noor Hussain said he saw Dr. Ionescu driving the car and hitting the three pedestrians in Bukit Panjang.
State Coroner Victor Yeo is expected to deliver his findings at the end of this month.
Mr. Tong’s widow Yenny Young, 31, was in court for most of the six days with her mother-in-law. Her lawyer, Mr. Subhas Anandan, was also there to help her with the case.
She returns to Indonesia today but will return for the findings.
She said: ‘I am grateful to the witnesses and my lawyer for helping the court.’
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