'Ionescu was near smashed embassy car'
Fri, Mar 05, 2010
my paper
By Kenny Chee
FORMER Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu was just metres from a black embassy car with a shattered windscreen on the morning of Dec 15 last year, said a taxi driver in court yesterday.
Relief driver Mohd Salihen Wahab, 40, said on the second day of the coroner's inquiry into the death of Mr Tong Kok Wai, 30, that he spotted Dr Ionescu at 3.20am.
This was after two hit-and-run accidents involving Romanian Embassy car S3401CD earlier at about 3.10am.
Mr Salihen was driving his taxi along Sungei Kadut Avenue when he saw a Caucasian man in a black jacket and tie walking in his direction.
What struck me as unusual was that he was walking in a very deserted road in the early hours of the morning and was fully dressed in a black jacket and tie." - Mr Mohd Salihen Wahab
He later identified the man as Dr Ionescu, 49, from a photo of him published in a Dec 17 copy of The New Paper.
"He was about 3m away from a stationary black car, which was parked at the front gate of a building," said Mr Salihen.
He said that he thought the former diplomat would flag down his taxi, so he slowed his driving speed. Dr Ionescu
turned his head to look at Mr Salihen when the cabby drove near, but did not hail the taxi.
Instead, he continued walking in the direction of Woodlands Road.
Mr Salihen said he thought it was odd for a man in a suit like Dr Ionescu to be walking along a deserted road so early in the day.
The cabby then noted that the stationary car that was near Dr Ionescu had the letters "CD" on the number plate, and thus knew the vehicle was an embassy car.
Later, at about 3.30am, cabby Neo Hock Beng, 50, picked up Dr Ionescu. Mr Neo told the court that he stopped his taxi at the T-junction of Woodlands Road and Sungei Kadut Avenue when he saw Dr Ionescu there.
Fri, Mar 05, 2010
my paper
By Kenny Chee
FORMER Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu was just metres from a black embassy car with a shattered windscreen on the morning of Dec 15 last year, said a taxi driver in court yesterday.
Relief driver Mohd Salihen Wahab, 40, said on the second day of the coroner's inquiry into the death of Mr Tong Kok Wai, 30, that he spotted Dr Ionescu at 3.20am.
This was after two hit-and-run accidents involving Romanian Embassy car S3401CD earlier at about 3.10am.
Mr Salihen was driving his taxi along Sungei Kadut Avenue when he saw a Caucasian man in a black jacket and tie walking in his direction.
What struck me as unusual was that he was walking in a very deserted road in the early hours of the morning and was fully dressed in a black jacket and tie." - Mr Mohd Salihen Wahab
He later identified the man as Dr Ionescu, 49, from a photo of him published in a Dec 17 copy of The New Paper.
"He was about 3m away from a stationary black car, which was parked at the front gate of a building," said Mr Salihen.
He said that he thought the former diplomat would flag down his taxi, so he slowed his driving speed. Dr Ionescu
turned his head to look at Mr Salihen when the cabby drove near, but did not hail the taxi.
Instead, he continued walking in the direction of Woodlands Road.
Mr Salihen said he thought it was odd for a man in a suit like Dr Ionescu to be walking along a deserted road so early in the day.
The cabby then noted that the stationary car that was near Dr Ionescu had the letters "CD" on the number plate, and thus knew the vehicle was an embassy car.
Later, at about 3.30am, cabby Neo Hock Beng, 50, picked up Dr Ionescu. Mr Neo told the court that he stopped his taxi at the T-junction of Woodlands Road and Sungei Kadut Avenue when he saw Dr Ionescu there.
