Benin’s Ambassador Complains That A Security Man Obstructed Him From Entering His Car

15 October 2020 Kuwait

The Ambassador of Benin to Kuwait, Moudgaidou Soumanou Issoufou, has alleged that two security men obstructed his entry into his diplomatic car, and attempted to take one of his countryman from his car by force, who is accused of failing to repay a loan, Al Rai daily reported. The reason he gave was an alleged dispute between a fellow Beninese and his sponsor over a dispute that is to be tried before the courts. 

Ambassador Soumanou Issoufou complained to Al-Rai daily that a member of his community, who does not know Arabic or English had a problem with his sponsor, who accused him of borrowing KD 3000 from him and refusing to return the money. Explaining the situation, he stated, “The Beninese citizen used to work as a driver for his sponsor, who asked him to sign a blank paper saying it was to renew his driver’s license. He signed it, but the sponsor wrote in it that he was owed KD 3000 from him, and asked his employee to work as a truck driver with the same salary, without extra payment.”

He added, “The embassy has submitted a complaint to the Kuwaiti judiciary to consider the matter, and a date was set for a session in the court to investigate. The defendant who was the sponsor and the complainant, accompanied by the embassy translator, attended the court hearing, which was postponed to 28th of this month.”
 
For his part, the embassy interpreter, who was accompanying the accused, said to Al-Rai: “At the end of yesterday’s courts session, I saw the sponsor talking to some policemen, and they informed him that his employee could not be arrested inside the court. The police previously detained this Beninese citizen for two days, and released him after the embassy intervened”.

Elaborating on his version of events, he said, “When the sponsor was seen talking to the police to arrest his employee outside the court, the ambassador was requested to give him a ride in his diplomatic car. The Beninese citizen was sitting in the car, and the ambassador was about to enter, a plain-clothed security man blocked the ambassador from entering his car.”

He said, “The security men reached into his car to get the Beninese person out, and we told them that this is the ambassador’s car, and he has immunity. You are not allowed to block the Ambassador from riding in his car or trespassing into it. One of the security men from the court intervened, and ended the matter by informing them that the ambassador cannot be blocked from entering his car, and an apology was made to His Excellency the ambassador.”

In addition, diplomatic sources clarified that “the Geneva Convention stipulates that the ambassador and accredited diplomats may not be attacked by security, except following a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who in turn proceeds with the necessary procedures,” pointing out that “immunity does not include any accused persons who may accompany the ambassador, or those who have immunity outside the embassy.”

 

Source: Timeskuwait

 

 

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