WELLINGTON: 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 today they responded to an incident in Lower Hutt near Wellington early on March 12. The statement said the American left the scene before police arrived, and no arrests were made. Police declined to release further details of the incident.
The following day, police asked New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to seek a waiver of immunity from the US so they could investigate the incident, according to the ministry. But the US declined that request yesterday.
The statement from the ministry says it's now asked the US Embassy to remove the man from New Zealand.