Post by fretslider on Jun 29, 2010 6:29:23 GMT -5
They have been caught shoplifting and drink-driving, been accused of robbery and human trafficking, and two notable "offenders" each owe £3m in congestion charge fines. But instead of facing the full weight of the law this privileged group have got off scot-free.
Foreign embassy staff been exempted from a range of serious charges that in normal cases would have carried a penalty of at least 12 months in prison, according to figures released in parliament today. Five diplomats have escaped shoplifting charges since 2005, including an official from the Gambian embassy caught last year, a staffer at the Cameroonian embassy in 2008, and one member of each of the Egyptian, Equatorial Guinean and Zambian embassies accused in 2005.
But perhaps the single biggest offender – albeit on less serious allegations – is the US, which has run up £3,821,880 in unpaid fines incurred in a seven-year diplomatic stand-off over the congestion charge.
One member from each of the Brazilian, German, US and Russian embassies were caught drink-driving but released without charge this year. Diplomats or their dependants from Saudi Arabia and one from Sierra Leone were alleged to have been involved in human trafficking, and one from Saudi Arabia was accused of sexual assault. A member of the Pakistan embassy was accused of threatening to kill, and one from Cameroon accused of neglect of a young person.
Embassy staff in London from more than 57 countries have clocked up £534,060 in unpaid parking tickets and minor traffic offences in 2009. Between 2005 and 2009 police made eight requests to the government for immunity to be waived, all of which were declined, a foreign office spokesman said. In four cases the embassy involved subsequently informed the Foreign Office that the accused individual had been withdrawn.
The US embassy has dug in its heels over the congestion charge, claiming it is a tax and therefore that its diplomats are immune. A US embassy spokesman said: "The US embassy in London conscientiously abides by all UK laws, including paying fines for all traffic violations, such as parking and speeding violations. Our position on the direct tax established by Transport for London in 2003, more commonly known as the congestion charge, is based on the 1960 Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, which prohibits the direct taxation of diplomatic missions."
So now we know, a car is a diplomatic mission.
Foreign embassy staff been exempted from a range of serious charges that in normal cases would have carried a penalty of at least 12 months in prison, according to figures released in parliament today. Five diplomats have escaped shoplifting charges since 2005, including an official from the Gambian embassy caught last year, a staffer at the Cameroonian embassy in 2008, and one member of each of the Egyptian, Equatorial Guinean and Zambian embassies accused in 2005.
But perhaps the single biggest offender – albeit on less serious allegations – is the US, which has run up £3,821,880 in unpaid fines incurred in a seven-year diplomatic stand-off over the congestion charge.
One member from each of the Brazilian, German, US and Russian embassies were caught drink-driving but released without charge this year. Diplomats or their dependants from Saudi Arabia and one from Sierra Leone were alleged to have been involved in human trafficking, and one from Saudi Arabia was accused of sexual assault. A member of the Pakistan embassy was accused of threatening to kill, and one from Cameroon accused of neglect of a young person.
Embassy staff in London from more than 57 countries have clocked up £534,060 in unpaid parking tickets and minor traffic offences in 2009. Between 2005 and 2009 police made eight requests to the government for immunity to be waived, all of which were declined, a foreign office spokesman said. In four cases the embassy involved subsequently informed the Foreign Office that the accused individual had been withdrawn.
The US embassy has dug in its heels over the congestion charge, claiming it is a tax and therefore that its diplomats are immune. A US embassy spokesman said: "The US embassy in London conscientiously abides by all UK laws, including paying fines for all traffic violations, such as parking and speeding violations. Our position on the direct tax established by Transport for London in 2003, more commonly known as the congestion charge, is based on the 1960 Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, which prohibits the direct taxation of diplomatic missions."
So now we know, a car is a diplomatic mission.