US shields New Zealand embassy staffer

Trump administration invokes diplomatic immunity, rendering probe a futile exercise

New Zealand authorities say they’re unable to investigate an incident involving a US Embassy staffer based in Wellington after the US government elected to shield him by invoking diplomatic immunity.

Police said Saturday they responded to an incident in Lower Hutt near Wellington early on March 12. They said the American had left the scene before police arrived, and nobody was taken into custody. In their statement, police declined to release further details of the incident but said they’re keeping the investigation open.

The day after the incident, police asked New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) to seek a waiver of immunity from the US so police could investigate, according to the ministry. But the ministry said the US declined that request on Friday.

The ministry said in a statement that it then asked the US Embassy to remove the man from New Zealand.

A US Embassy official said yesterday the man had left New Zealand but declined to provide the man’s name or any details about the investigation. The official wasn’t authorised to speak publicly about the situation and asked to remain anonymous.

“As a matter of policy, we do not comment on the specifics of matters under investigation,” the embassy said in an earlier statement.