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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Romanian Embassy responds to MFA</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
Subscribe </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>Hungzai <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>5:50 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 6) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>29079.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>THE Romanian Embassy on Tuesday officially responded to requests by Singapore's Foreign Ministry over the hit-and-run case involving a car allegedly driven by the embassy's charge d'affaires in Singapore.
The car hit three people in Bukit Panjang before speeding off on Dec 15, causing the death of 30-year-old Tong Kok Wai. The coroner's inquiry into his death starts next week, but Foreign Minister George Yeo said in Parliament on Monday that there has been no sign that the envoy at the centre of the case, Dr Silviu Ionescu, who flew home after the accident, will attend the hearing.
In apparent response to Mr Yeo's comments in Parliament, the Romanian Embassy handed over three diplomatic notes - Third Party Notes (TPN) - to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
The first note acceded to MFA's request that Mr Marius Trusca, an administrative officer at the Romanian Embassy, give evidence at the coroner's inquiry on the death of Mr Tong. The Embassy added that 'Mr Trusca will assist the State Coroner in establishing the true circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Tong.'
The second note confirmed that the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed Dr Ionescu, whom police investigations revealed was the driver of the Romanian Embassy car at the time of the accidents, that he attend the Coroner's Inquiry and give the Singapore authorities details of the identity of the witness whom the envoy had claimed could exonerate him.
The note added that the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has suspended its 'labour relationship' with Dr Ionescu 'during the period of criminal investigations undertaken by the Romanian authorities and cannot compel him to observe a certain line of conduct'.
'The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly dissociates itself from Dr Silviu Ionescu's statements made after his employment contract was suspended and underlines that his statements do not represent theposition of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,' said the note.
The Embassy also handed over a third note stating that the Romanian authorities would 'give due consideration' to MFA's request for more information on the status of the criminal proceedings in Romania against Dr Ionescu and on the Romanian system of investigations and prosecutions, and 'a detailed answer will be soon provided'.
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The car hit three people in Bukit Panjang before speeding off on Dec 15, causing the death of 30-year-old Tong Kok Wai. The coroner's inquiry into his death starts next week, but Foreign Minister George Yeo said in Parliament on Monday that there has been no sign that the envoy at the centre of the case, Dr Silviu Ionescu, who flew home after the accident, will attend the hearing.
In apparent response to Mr Yeo's comments in Parliament, the Romanian Embassy handed over three diplomatic notes - Third Party Notes (TPN) - to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.
The first note acceded to MFA's request that Mr Marius Trusca, an administrative officer at the Romanian Embassy, give evidence at the coroner's inquiry on the death of Mr Tong. The Embassy added that 'Mr Trusca will assist the State Coroner in establishing the true circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Tong.'
The second note confirmed that the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed Dr Ionescu, whom police investigations revealed was the driver of the Romanian Embassy car at the time of the accidents, that he attend the Coroner's Inquiry and give the Singapore authorities details of the identity of the witness whom the envoy had claimed could exonerate him.
The note added that the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has suspended its 'labour relationship' with Dr Ionescu 'during the period of criminal investigations undertaken by the Romanian authorities and cannot compel him to observe a certain line of conduct'.
'The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs firmly dissociates itself from Dr Silviu Ionescu's statements made after his employment contract was suspended and underlines that his statements do not represent theposition of the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,' said the note.
The Embassy also handed over a third note stating that the Romanian authorities would 'give due consideration' to MFA's request for more information on the status of the criminal proceedings in Romania against Dr Ionescu and on the Romanian system of investigations and prosecutions, and 'a detailed answer will be soon provided'.
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