THE UKRAINIAN embassy in Dublin has refused to say if it will use diplomatic immunity rules to help one of its staff avoid prosecution for an alleged drink-driving offence.
The staff member was arrested last weekend after gardaí in Dublin city centre saw a car being driven down Ellis Quay despite having two tyres missing from one side. The driver was arrested and brought to Store Street Garda station on suspicion of drink driving.
However, he was unco-operative with gardaí and claimed he was immune from prosecution because he enjoyed diplomatic status.
He was processed by the arresting gardaí on the night, on October 31st.
However, subsequent checks confirmed his claim that he works for the Ukrainian embassy in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
It is now unclear if a prosecution will proceed. The Ukrainian embassy can invoke diplomatic immunity rules meaning the suspect would avoid prosecution.
However, it could also ensure the suspect’s case was progressed through the courts in the normal way by revoking the man’s immunity status for the purposes of the case.
A spokesman for the embassy yesterday declined to comment on the case. He said the embassy would not comment on whether the suspect at the centre of the case was a diplomat or non-diplomat. He also declined to say if the diplomatic immunity rules would be used to avoid prosecution in the case.