NEW YORK (AP) -- Vietnam's ambassador to the United Nations is claiming diplomatic immunity after being accused of illegally digging for clams on Long Island.
Ambassador Le Van Bang and his driver, Toan Nguyen Dinh, were spotted July 31 in East Hampton's Hog Creek, carrying plastic bags filled with clams, town officials said.
The two men "acted like they didn't speak English when they were confronted by the harbormaster," said the town prosecutor, Scott Allen.
After police were called, Le and Toan dropped the bags of clams and claimed diplomatic immunity, the Daily News reported Friday.
The men were ticketed for illegal shellfishing and litterịng and Clamming without a license carries a $250 fine. The men are due in town court Oct. 3.
Allen is researching whether diplomatic immunity applies.
"Apparently, there are two different levels of diplomatic immunity," Senior Harbormaster Bill Taylor said. "The ambassador is total diplomatic immunity, the driver may be at a different level."
Nguyen Thi Hong, a spokesman at Vietnam's U.N. mission, said the incident was a misunderstanding.
"They were not picking up clams. They were just swimming around," she said.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/...-immunity-toan
Bookmarks