Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
Jun 30th 2010, 5:43 am
#1
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Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
Foreign diplomats in Britain have been accused of human trafficking, domestic violence, drink driving and threats to kill — and owe more than 36 million pounds in traffic fines, new figures reveal.
Foreign Office figures show diplomatic missions owe 36,057,690 pounds ($54.16 million, 44.43 million euros) for not paying London's congestion charge since 2003 — and half a million in parking and traffic fines in 2009 alone.
But the 25,000 people entitled to diplomatic immunity in Britain are not simply using it to avoid traffic penalties, according to the figures revealed Monday.
Last year, 17 people were accused of drink driving and serious crimes - those warranting at least a year in jail.
This includes two people accused of human trafficking, one from the Saudi Arabian embassy and one from the Sierra Leone mission, a Saudi accused of sexual assault and a Pakistani official accused of threatening to kill someone
A member of the Gambian mission was accused of shoplifting, a Nigerian of actual bodily harm and numerous officials — including from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain — were accused of drink-driving.
Previous years saw further accusations of drink driving as well as of dangerous driving by a Russian diplomat, domestic assault and car theft by South African officials, and robbery by one of Guyana's diplomats.
The biggest offender in non-payment of the London congestion charge is the United States embassy, which owed 3,821,880 pounds at the end of January. It is followed by Russia (3.20 million pounds) and Japan (2.77 million pounds).
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/uk/di...crime-1.648207
Foreign Office figures show diplomatic missions owe 36,057,690 pounds ($54.16 million, 44.43 million euros) for not paying London's congestion charge since 2003 — and half a million in parking and traffic fines in 2009 alone.
But the 25,000 people entitled to diplomatic immunity in Britain are not simply using it to avoid traffic penalties, according to the figures revealed Monday.
Last year, 17 people were accused of drink driving and serious crimes - those warranting at least a year in jail.
This includes two people accused of human trafficking, one from the Saudi Arabian embassy and one from the Sierra Leone mission, a Saudi accused of sexual assault and a Pakistani official accused of threatening to kill someone
A member of the Gambian mission was accused of shoplifting, a Nigerian of actual bodily harm and numerous officials — including from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain — were accused of drink-driving.
Previous years saw further accusations of drink driving as well as of dangerous driving by a Russian diplomat, domestic assault and car theft by South African officials, and robbery by one of Guyana's diplomats.
The biggest offender in non-payment of the London congestion charge is the United States embassy, which owed 3,821,880 pounds at the end of January. It is followed by Russia (3.20 million pounds) and Japan (2.77 million pounds).
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/uk/di...crime-1.648207
Jun 30th 2010, 8:54 am
#2
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
Foreign diplomats in Britain have been accused of human trafficking, domestic violence, drink driving and threats to kill — and owe more than 36 million pounds in traffic fines, new figures reveal.
Foreign Office figures show diplomatic missions owe 36,057,690 pounds ($54.16 million, 44.43 million euros) for not paying London's congestion charge since 2003 — and half a million in parking and traffic fines in 2009 alone.
But the 25,000 people entitled to diplomatic immunity in Britain are not simply using it to avoid traffic penalties, according to the figures revealed Monday.
Last year, 17 people were accused of drink driving and serious crimes - those warranting at least a year in jail.
This includes two people accused of human trafficking, one from the Saudi Arabian embassy and one from the Sierra Leone mission, a Saudi accused of sexual assault and a Pakistani official accused of threatening to kill someone
A member of the Gambian mission was accused of shoplifting, a Nigerian of actual bodily harm and numerous officials — including from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain — were accused of drink-driving.
Previous years saw further accusations of drink driving as well as of dangerous driving by a Russian diplomat, domestic assault and car theft by South African officials, and robbery by one of Guyana's diplomats.
The biggest offender in non-payment of the London congestion charge is the United States embassy, which owed 3,821,880 pounds at the end of January. It is followed by Russia (3.20 million pounds) and Japan (2.77 million pounds).
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/uk/di...crime-1.648207
Foreign Office figures show diplomatic missions owe 36,057,690 pounds ($54.16 million, 44.43 million euros) for not paying London's congestion charge since 2003 — and half a million in parking and traffic fines in 2009 alone.
But the 25,000 people entitled to diplomatic immunity in Britain are not simply using it to avoid traffic penalties, according to the figures revealed Monday.
Last year, 17 people were accused of drink driving and serious crimes - those warranting at least a year in jail.
This includes two people accused of human trafficking, one from the Saudi Arabian embassy and one from the Sierra Leone mission, a Saudi accused of sexual assault and a Pakistani official accused of threatening to kill someone
A member of the Gambian mission was accused of shoplifting, a Nigerian of actual bodily harm and numerous officials — including from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain — were accused of drink-driving.
Previous years saw further accusations of drink driving as well as of dangerous driving by a Russian diplomat, domestic assault and car theft by South African officials, and robbery by one of Guyana's diplomats.
The biggest offender in non-payment of the London congestion charge is the United States embassy, which owed 3,821,880 pounds at the end of January. It is followed by Russia (3.20 million pounds) and Japan (2.77 million pounds).
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/uk/di...crime-1.648207
A Saudi and a Bahraini drunk, lies, damn lies I tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is interesting the Nigerians don't head the traffic fines any more. They always did, so must have cleaned up their act???
Jun 30th 2010, 8:56 am
#3
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
When it comes to parking fines, it's a shame these diplomats cannot do what those nice people at Lambeth Council do - let themselves off paying the penalties........ 
[scroll down to find the story]
http://parkingappeals.co.uk/
[scroll down to find the story]
http://parkingappeals.co.uk/
Jun 30th 2010, 9:10 am
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
no wonder we have such a large economic deficit
Jun 30th 2010, 9:13 am
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
I wonder how much we owe others.
Jun 30th 2010, 9:31 am
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Jun 30th 2010, 10:27 am
#8
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
interesting. is that because we do pay the fines, we don't generate fines or they just don't bill us them?
I thought the deal was that diplomats don't pay fines or taxes where bilateral agreements were in place.
The reason why the scum bag congestion charge dodging yanks don't pay the CC (and fines) is that they have deemed it a tax.
Jun 30th 2010, 12:28 pm
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
interesting. is that because we do pay the fines, we don't generate fines or they just don't bill us them?
I thought the deal was that diplomats don't pay fines or taxes where bilateral agreements were in place.
The reason why the scum bag congestion charge dodging yanks don't pay the CC (and fines) is that they have deemed it a tax.
I thought the deal was that diplomats don't pay fines or taxes where bilateral agreements were in place.
The reason why the scum bag congestion charge dodging yanks don't pay the CC (and fines) is that they have deemed it a tax.
Yep...we must pay up because there were 'zero unpaid fines' at the last survey in New York...same for Japan and Canada. However, I'm sure British diplomats are made to pay up for their own misdemeanors...can't see the Foreign Office paying up for employees' disregard for the local laws of the country that they are posted to.
Jun 30th 2010, 12:32 pm
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Jul 1st 2010, 4:52 am
#11
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Re: Diplomats in Britain owe millions in fines.
I'm sure the fines are only so high because the congestion charge fine goes up by a ridiculous ammount when left over time.
If you have not paid by the end of the next day you get fined 120 quid, granted if you pay immediately it goes down to 60 but even still they don't giveyou much time to pay it.
Living in London I paid a fortune in congestion charge fines, parking tickets, fines for stopping on a red route etc.... that on top of higher petrol prices, higher insurance and general runing costs used to kill me! The traffic wardens in London are evil- I once had a bit of a barny with one for being given a ticket for being parked across two spaces ( being parked incorrectly), the whole row of cars was given a ticket all because a lorry in the first space had gone across one and a half lanes. I could have strangled the guy... instead just verbally abused him and told him he obviously needed to get laid! I'd literaly been parked for two minutes as well- and supposedly they are meant to give you 5 minutes grace... git! I have also appealed against 3 fines and managed to get off them all so well worth appealing!
oo Im all wound up just thinking about it- grrrr!
If you have not paid by the end of the next day you get fined 120 quid, granted if you pay immediately it goes down to 60 but even still they don't giveyou much time to pay it.
Living in London I paid a fortune in congestion charge fines, parking tickets, fines for stopping on a red route etc.... that on top of higher petrol prices, higher insurance and general runing costs used to kill me! The traffic wardens in London are evil- I once had a bit of a barny with one for being given a ticket for being parked across two spaces ( being parked incorrectly), the whole row of cars was given a ticket all because a lorry in the first space had gone across one and a half lanes. I could have strangled the guy... instead just verbally abused him and told him he obviously needed to get laid! I'd literaly been parked for two minutes as well- and supposedly they are meant to give you 5 minutes grace... git! I have also appealed against 3 fines and managed to get off them all so well worth appealing!
oo Im all wound up just thinking about it- grrrr!
