Wednesday 10 March 2010

Romanian embassy driver testifies that Ionescu told him black Audi had been stolen


The Romanian driver of former charge d’affaires Silviu Ionescu gave his side of the story on Tuesday at the Coroner’s Inquiry into the death of a pedestrian linked to his embassy car last December.

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Guanyu said...

Romanian embassy driver testifies that Ionescu told him black Audi had been stolen

09 March 2010

The Romanian driver of former charge d’affaires Silviu Ionescu gave his side of the story on Tuesday at the Coroner’s Inquiry into the death of a pedestrian linked to his embassy car last December.

Romanian embassy driver, Marius Trusca, showed up on Day Five of the Coroner’s Inquiry.

During his appearance in the morning, made possible after the Romanian government lifted his diplomatic immunity, Mr. Trusca recounted what had happened on the morning of the accident on December 15.

He said he was awakened by phone calls from Dr Ionescu from about 3.30am.

In one call, the former diplomat claimed that his car, a black Audi, had been stolen and hung up.

Shortly after that, he called Mr. Trusca again, telling him not to call the Police as he had already done so.

Later that morning, Mr. Trusca drove Dr Ionescu from his residence at Grange Road to the embassy near Farrer Road so that he could prepare a statement for the police.

On the way there, Dr Ionescu asked Mr. Trusca to look around for the black Audi.

The driver said he was puzzled.

He later found out in a fax from the Traffic Police that the black Audi had been involved in an accident.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Ministry of Justice has indicated that it wants to have access to the information presented at the inquiry.

Alexandru Nicolae Coseru, Acting Charge d’Affaires, Romanian Embassy, said: “You know that he was accused back home. So the Ministry of Justice needs to have access to your evidences, your statements, your declarations and things like that.”

He said this has been communicated to Singapore.

He added: “They are asking politely and diplomatically to your Ministry of Law to give them access and make a mixed commission in order to have or to share all those information.”

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

A Singapore Foreign Ministry spokesman said neither the Law nor Foreign Affairs ministries has received such a request from the Romanian authorities.