Ionescu, political scapegoat?
Friday, April 16, 2010 at 6:30PM Former Romanian charge d'affaires, Dr Silviu Ionescu, will be facing thirteen criminal charges stemming from a hit-and-run incident should the Romanian government decide to release him to be tried in Singapore. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has already declared that Ionescu does not enjoy diplomatic immunity for these offenses committed on December 15th last year.
SINGAPORE has told Romania that its former charge d'affaires Silviu Ionescu does not enjoy diplomatic immunity for his alleged offences on Dec 15 last year. Based on Article 39.2 of Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a diplomat loses immunity for non-official acts when his posting ends and he leaves his host country.
'Dr Ionescu was using the Embassy vehicle in his private capacity and for his private purposes', said the Foreign Affairs Ministry in a statement on Thursday. 'As such, with effect from Dr Ionescu's recall, he no longer enjoys diplomatic immunity for the acts in question.'
The diplomatic thumb-wrestling match has begun. It comes as no surprise that the tools of the trade be applied judiciously, as Today reports.
Economic sanctions, freezing financial assets, downgrading cultural exchanges are just some possible consequences Singapore could mete out to Romania if its suspended diplomat Silviu Ionescu is not brought to justice.
The more important question is why we are willing to go to such lengths to secure Ionescu for a criminal trial. Yes, Ionescu's criminally negligent driving cost a man his life, and justice via a court of law is the right way forward in any lawful society. This is not under dispute.
But the motivating factor behind such a strong push by the MFA could be more cynical: a diplomatic victory in extraditing Ionescu would make everyone involved a hero, and they can figuratively hang Ionescu out to dry, and deservingly so. Even if the push fails, MFA would be perceived as having tried every avenue, and they would come out of this smelling like a bed of roses.
This is something our embattled Foreign Minister, George Yeo, would welcome, after his weak responses to this incident and rallying around Jack Neo when the latter's extra-marital affair was exposed. Let's not forget that Yeo won his GRC by the slimmest victory margin in the 2006 General Elections. Any victory he could claim credit for would help his bid for re-election.
In short, no matter how limited the victory, or even a total loss, this course of action is the most politically prudent one. Well-played, MFA, well-played.
Reader Comments (4)
Ok, so if the MFA is doing their job, they are scoring political points? If they aren't they get crucified for not caring about Singaporeans?
You make that sound like a bad thing. Which ministry won't want victories like these, especially when they are on the right side morally, legally and diplomatically?
My point is simple: the MFA doing this job well benefits them and Singaporeans, no matter what. I just want to see how far they would go. "Cui bono" is a question always worth asking. Do you see it as an issue?
I never realised this till you pointed it out. And I was wondering why was MFA and Ionescu in the news every single day.
The irrefutable fact is that the Foreign Affairs Ministry and Home Affairs Ministry sat on their hands while Ionescu leisurely packed his bags for the flight home. The investigating officer testified in court that they returned the accident car to Ionescu instead of compounding it as evidence because a foreigner was involved. If MFA had done their job, they should have applied for waiver of immunity immediately since it was a open and shut case. They know that there's no extradition treaty with Romania. If a Singaporean was involved, he would have had to surrender his passport. But, like the case of Phey Yew Kok, they probably had secretly wished Ionescu would take flight and bring the problem back to Romania. That way the Minister can collect his million dollar salary and don't have to do any work. Notice how many times George Yeo has been flying to Europe these couple of months, and not one trip has a stopover in Romania.