Silviu Ionescu continues to enjoy diplomatic immunity

[Csnewbie]

Romania maybe a less advanced country compared to Singapore.But lets not poke fun at them.Respect them as you would want them to respect us.Hope this incident will come to a favourable end to both Countries.

[Axela72]

Wah Lau, ding dong until now still didnt arrest him, should detain him in the prison while under investigation.

[RWprince]

I read the paper, and its an embarassing joke. 'Singapore is confused why...' should not be used, because only the few guys there representing Singapore is confused. Cannot say all 5million people share the same opinion.

Diplomat at the time of the accident, means during the duration of his stay in Singapore as a diplomat, what got anything to do if he is performing personal or official duty or not. Even if he goes back and is no longer a diplomat now, at the time of accident, he is a diplomat with immunity.

We can pressure them to override the immunity or they can override it, but dont make us look stupid pretending not to understand a simple thing.

[Tigerwoods]

The Law has 2 mouths (a chinese saying). In laymen terms, Chut Pattern and Peng Wei lor...

Tell all of you lah, Romania will finally convict him to House Arrest for 3 years at home and after that he continue to be Diplomat in Malaysia maybe ??

Romania will not ssend him back to Sinkapore for trial and jail here one lah...

If the guy is a tourist in Sinkapore and did this, got chance to jail here.

 

Diplomat - all got Spare Death Gold Plate.

[Aeromania]

官官相护

[Sosaria]

I read the paper, and its an embarassing joke. 'Singapore is confused why...' should not be used, because only the few guys there representing Singapore is confused. Cannot say all 5million people share the same opinion.

Diplomat at the time of the accident, means during the duration of his stay in Singapore as a diplomat, what got anything to do if he is performing personal or official duty or not. Even if he goes back and is no longer a diplomat now, at the time of accident, he is a diplomat with immunity.

We can pressure them to override the immunity or they can override it, but dont make us look stupid pretending not to understand a simple thing.

 

This is the language of diplomacy. I've read about this before. They have several choices of words to convey the level of displeasure with other countries. And they carefully choose the words... diplomats worldwide understand the vocab. Act too strongly too fast and it will provoke tit-for-tat moves against you.

 

Still, yes, they should've just detained this romanian guy earlier while investigations are ongoing, and esp. when the clues and evidence are all so obvious. Then there'd be no problems such as happening now.

[Axela72]

This is the language of diplomacy. I've read about this before. They have several choices of words to convey the level of displeasure with other countries. And they carefully choose the words... diplomats worldwide understand the vocab. Act too strongly too fast and it will provoke tit-for-tat moves against you.

 

Still, yes, they should've just detained this romanian guy earlier while investigations are ongoing, and esp. when the clues and evidence are all so obvious. Then there'd be no problems such as happening now.

 

Understand that the victim is not Sinagporean. Didnt anyone heard about anything from his country of orgin comment or action taken? Why so quite? Take an example, if our local Singaporean work oversea and get kill due to similar incident, I believe the local here will protest as well, right?

[Gendut]

By Teh Joo Lin

 

ROMANIA sent Singapore a diplomatic note last Friday asserting that former charge d'affaires Silviu Ionescu continues to enjoy diplomatic immunity for the hit-and-run case of Dec 15.

 

This is puzzling, said Foreign Minister George Yeo, as 'it seems to imply that Romania is now claiming that Dr Ionescu was engaged in official duties at the time of the accident and we do not understand how this can possibly be the case'.

 

On the other hand, Romanian media reports suggest that the Romanian police may be preparing to arrest the suspended diplomat. The police there have told Interpol that they have the competence to prosecute him and they have started criminal proceedings against him.

 

Is this stupid ministry conducting foreign affairs through the media? Are we that daft?

[Atec1267]

Romania eat sinagpore 3 meal la, you think they bother to entertain us, pang xim la, they can't be bother with us, after all they just don't setup a embassy here lor. Must shoot the idiot who set the law that all this diplomat got immunity, they are the real killer. So go for the root.

 

Fat Ass now everyday laugh at us in Romania, another one laughing at Japan. Even if he got convicted, it will just be another for show thing. Jail at home hur?

[LoverofCar]

Romania eat sinagpore 3 meal la, you think they bother to entertain us, pang xim la, they can't be bother with us, after all they just don't setup a embassy here lor. Must shoot the idiot who set the law that all this diplomat got immunity, they are the real killer. So go for the root.

 

Fat Ass now everyday laugh at us in Romania, another one laughing at Japan. Even if he got convicted, it will just be another for show thing. Jail at home hur?

 

in malaysia cup time, that michael Vana had been laughing at Singapore for almost 20 years liao....so what's new....we had been a laughing stock...before

[Ivansyl]

this issue sure will drag damn long 1. as usual with all the red tape and stuff. international laws should consider restructuring the whole diplomatic immunity system.

[Blackseal]

this issue sure will drag damn long 1. as usual with all the red tape and stuff. international laws should consider restructuring the whole diplomatic immunity system.

 

Just send SOF and abduct that fat garbage back....make him stand trial and disregard his half fark diplomatic papers.....better still....jail and rotan his fat arse to tell the world.... diplomatic criminals will be treated like this....not happy...pack up and leave

[Bic_cherry]

Source: http://www.sgforums.com/forums/3317/topics...=8#post_9779656

 

The key point of it being the fact that the current issue at hand is essentially 'local' and linked directly to the incompetencies of both states in handling handling what is basically a internal mutual problem.

It is also my an expression of my displeasure as to what I believe are incompetencies committed by various parties.

On part of Singapore, the use of a 'cherry picked' VCDR article 39.2, without reference to Article31.4, is purely moot- and thus liable to cause offense to Romania, a partner so essential to bringing Ionescu to justice. Singapore's unreasonable and 'unprecedented' requests is in discordance with the spirit of the VCDR, and as such, a serious risk of derailing the entire negotiatory process- i.e. a spanner in the works of currently good relations.

For the avoidance of doubt, I believe A39.2 (as SG MFA defends it's Interpol notice by) to be merely moot at present. This is because the virtue of its numerical precedence and relevance to Article39.2, a reference to A31.4 (and by precedence A31.1) is essentially required for any consideration for A39.2 to be valid (that which the current case sorely lacks).

Article31.4 states: "The immunity of a diplomatic agent from the jurisdiction of the receiving State does not exempt him from the jurisdiction of the sending State."

Singapore's 'cherry picked' and unjustified application of A39.2 (without due reference to A31.4) is thus unacceptable, and as such, she currently owes the Romanian MFA EITHER an apology (and immediate retraction of the Interpol notice) for her unqualified application of A39.2 of the VCDR, OR a qualification to justify use of A39.2.

 

Romania on the other hand, seemed unfamiliar with its roles and responsibilities befitting of a 'sending state', as to the discipline of a wayward diplomat, who should have from much early on been silenced from making any further disparaging remarks which might compromise Romanian reputation and by extension, mutual relations- which paradoxically, was the original purpose he (Ionescu) was meant to serve. A severe warning and/ or arrest would have been warranted to limit his misleading and aggravating comments to the press (both Singapore and Romanian)- given the fact that he was still enjoying 'diplomatic status' (and thus protected for persecution under SG law/ A39.2, himself having only been issued a 'suspension' from work)- and would thus be professionally obligated to serve the interest of the sovereign (Romania) he so represents before his own self-serving interest.

 

That said, this current 'saga' also reflects poorly on the system by which Interpol is run and the appreciation by Interpol for Diplomatic Laws. Interpol should have queried the basis upon which Singapore's request for the red notice was made- specifically the evidence that A31.4 (or other applicable articles) had been considered in precedence to A39.2 being administered.

 

I have thus far found myself disappointed with the overall handling of the Ionescu case by the many parties concerned, wherein their interpretation of the VCDR seems rather lacking if not self-serving.

 

I thus truly hope that Justice would be served in its true spirit without corruption by either the incompetencies or ulterior motives of parties involved.

 

The book of law should be read from front to back and not vice versa.

Please do not pervert the word of law.

 

 

Regards and God Bless

Bic_Cherry

 

[Beehive3783]

Word of law? If there is word of law then all those rich farkers should get what they deserve and not just a light slap on the wrist. One day jail for killing someone on the road comes to mind.

[Bic_cherry]

Word of law? If there is word of law then all those rich farkers should get what they deserve and not just a light slap on the wrist. One day jail for killing someone on the road comes to mind.

Chinese newspaper editor to serve a day's jail

By Claire Huang, 938LIVE | Posted: 17 April 2009 2131 hrs

SINGAPORE: A Shin Min Daily News editor won an appeal to reduce her sentence at the High Court on Friday.

Michelle Lim, who was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, will now serve one day in jail, down from the original sentence of 18 months.

In addition, she was fined S$2,000 and banned from driving for ten years.

Lim was sentenced last July after being convicted of beating the red light on Christmas Eve in 2006. Her car collided with a motorcycle, killing the pillion rider.

In reducing the sentence, Justice Choo Han Teck said he found no reason to challenge the fact that Lim had beaten the red light. But it was clear that Lim had not intentionally disregarded the red light at the road junction.

Justice Choo said Lim's culpability laid in her "failure to keep a proper lookout" and this did not warrant a harsh custodial sentence.

As for the second charge of causing grievous hurt by a rash act, he said that evidence showed Lim was unaware that the traffic light had turned red.

In his view, Justice Choo said Lim was more negligent than rash, so he amended the second charge to a lighter one of dangerous driving.

Lim, who was accompanied by her older son and a few ex-colleagues in court on Friday, looked somewhat relieved upon hearing the judgement.

Her son declined to comment when approached by the media.

- CNA/so

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../423109/1/.html

Edited May 13, 2010 by Bic_cherry

[Bic_cherry]

Romanian High Court rejects Ionescu appeal

By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 13 May 2010 1358 hrs

SINGAPORE: Former Romanian charge d' affaires to Singapore, Silviu Ionescu, has failed in his appeal to have his international arrest warrant annulled.

Romanian media, Nine O' Clock, said the appeal was rejected after the Romanian High Court "realised that it cannot rule on documents or requests issued by states with which Romania does not have judiciary collaboration agreements."

The ruling by the High Court of Cassation and Justice is final.

This means the international arrest warrant issued by Singapore against Dr Ionescu remains valid.

His lawyer, Maria Vasi, told the court that she did not rule out that the accident was staged by the Singapore authorities so that they could subsequently force the Romanian diplomat to reveal intelligence.

Dr Ionescu was found by a Coroner's Inquiry in Singapore to be the driver behind the wheel of a Black Audi which was involved in two hit-and-run accidents in December last year.

One person subsequently died of his injuries.

- CNA/jy

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1056299/1/.html

Still think SG should withdraw the Interpol warrant, remove all this confusion, and then talk nicely with Romania...

:)

 

Ref:

'The book of law should be read from front to back and not vice versa'.

[Csnewbie]

Well in this case it's different.It's drink-driving for this ex-Romanian Diplomat.

And he further implied what he had run over was a dog.

Utter humuliation to ordinary folks of Spore.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Csnewbie

[Watwheels]

The question should be on Sgp side did anyone call up to verify whether the "diplomatic note" is genuine. If nobody stops him from going anywhere he likes in Romania, he could have created the note at the Romanian gov office and sent it to Sgp.

 

Local authorities should verify the note with their top officials there.