Secret return

Kuwaiti ambassador used diplomatic immunity to hold farewell party after being accused of assaulting a woman. Tom Huntreports.

A Kuwaiti ambassador who fled serious assault charges in New Zealand returned for 10 days to tie up loose ends and hold a farewell party.

His return came on April 1, but police were powerless to act due to diplomatic immunity – a form of legal immunity that ensures diplomats are given safe passage and can’t be prosecuted under a host country’s laws.

In August, Sunday News revealed Kuwaiti ambassador to New Zealand Ahmed Bader Razouqi was accused of assaulting a woman in central Wellington in November 2015.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) tried to get Kuwait to waive immunity for the diplomat – which would have given police the power to charge Razouqi with the crime.

However, Kuwait refused to waive his diplomatic immunity despite government intervention at the highest level and disappointment from the New Zealand authorities who wanted to pursue charges.

Razouqi’s return in April 2016 was confirmed in heavilyredacted documents and emails released under the Official Information Act.

Emails between MFAT, police and Kiwi diplomats in the Middle East show concern about the danger of the fiasco going public.

This fear was heightened by the case of Malaysian diplomat Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail, who was allowed to leave New Zealand despite being arrested and charged with the attempted rape of a Wellington woman.