Former Romanian envoy to Singapore, released from prison

Former Romanian envoy to Singapore Silviu Ionescu will be released Thursday evening from prison, after the Court of Bucharest accepted his request for his arrest to be replaced with a ban on leaving the country. On November 17, a lower court rejected his request, ruling that Ionescu's arrest is legal and justified. On July 1, Ionescu was indicted by Romania's General Production Office for manslaughter in a case regarding a hit-and-run accident that resulted in one fatality. He is also accused of using his diplomatic immunity to leave Singapore and attempted to influence the investigation. Prosecutors say Ionescu, who was driving an embassy car on December 15 last year, ran a red light and hit three pedestrians at two intersections. Two of the victims were injured and one died days later in the hospital from the sustained injuries. The former diplomat also fled the scene of the accidents and gave investigators false statements, as he reported the embassy car stolen and denied he had been driving it at the time of the accidents. Mediafax