Honduras ambassador resigns over sex party

Ambassador to Colombia asked to step down after bodyguard held party with prostitutes at mission.



The Honduran ambassador to Colombia has been forced to resign after his bodyguard reportedly held a Christmas party with prostitutes at the mission, the foreign ministry in Tegucigalpa said.

Ambassador Carlos Rodriguez quit his post on Saturday, Honduras' foreign ministry said in a release, after the government requested his withdrawal.

"In order to safeguard national interests and good relations with the Republic of Colombia, we asked for the ambassador's irrevocable resignation and Mr Rodriguez stepped down, effective immediately," the foreign ministry said.

According to Honduran media reports, the ambassador's bodyguard and close friend Jorge Mendoza organised a party at the embassy to celebrate Christmas that turned into a booze-fueled orgy with prostitutes.

Reports said the prostitutes stole embassy computers and cell phones, and defecated on the desks of the ambassador and the commercial attache, after they were asked to leave without being paid.

"A scandal in our foreign service is a stain on the country's name. Diplomatic missions are sacred," said legislator Rodolfo Zelaya.

Colombian police said they were also investigating the incident at the embassy, which is located in an upscale Bogota neighbourhood.

The police chief for the northern part of Bogota, Jose Baquero, said officers were seeking to question two prostitutes who were taken to the embassy in a vehicle about the party and the alleged theft.

The party began around 22h00 pm and ended at almost 05h00 am the next morning, according to police.

The US Secret Service was embroiled in a similar scandal involving prostitutes and its agents last April in the Colombian city of Cartagena, where President Barack Obama attended the Summit of the Americas.

More than two dozen Secret Service agents and military personnel, tasked with preparing security for Obama's high-profile visit, were sent home. Nine have since left the agency as it seeks to repair its tarnished reputation.