Foreign Sec David Lammy shouted ‘f***ing French' at me during furious row over taxi fare – I was afraid, claims driver
FOREIGN Secretary David Lammy shouted 'f*** ing French' twice during a furious row over a taxi fare, the driver claimed last night.
Nasim Mimun, 40, said the minister, who oversees His Majesty's Diplomatic Service, got aggressive when asked to pay for a six-hour trip last month from Italy to a ski resort in France.
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Last night the French chauffeur, 40, told The Sun: 'When he got out of the vehicle, he said, 'f***ing French, f***ing French'. I was afraid.'
He claims Mr Lammy's £588 fare is still unpaid following last month's trip from Forli in Italy to Flaine in the French Alps.
Mr Lammy, who was with his wife Nicola Green, has said he 'totally refutes' the allegations and insists the fare was paid in full.
The Sun has obtained photos showing the filthy state in which the Ford Kuga was allegedly left, with food wrappers and an apple core visible in the back.
Mr Mimun took the couple on a 362-mile trip overnight on April 10 after Mr Lammy had accompanied the King and Queen on their State Visit to Italy.
But they got into a dispute towards the end of the near-six-hour drive, when Mr Mimun asked for an additional €700 (£588) fee.
He said: 'At a certain point, when I asked him to pay the bill — the difference of 700 euros he hadn't paid me — I received two blows like that. He hit — the middle seat, he was behind me — he hit like this, 'Tac, tac,' two times.' The chauffeur went on; 'When he got out of the vehicle, he said, 'fing French, f***ing French'.
'He got out of my car, went around. He made a turn to come towards me. I was afraid.'
He then drove off. Mr Lammy and his wife are countersuing him for leaving with their belongings, including luggage and cash.
He has been charged with theft and will appear in court in November.
But the driver, who lives in Avignon, told The Sun: 'I ran away to go to the nearest police station to present my ID to explain the facts. At absolutely no point did I have the intention to try to steal.'
Mr Mimun claimed he had no idea the couple's belongings were still in his car and handed them over to police when he realised.
The Foreign Secretary did not have his official red box with him.
Their luggage is thought to have belonged to Mr Lammy's wife and contained nothing sensitive.
Allegations also emerged suggesting Mr Mimun had threatened her by showing her a knife.
But he insisted it was a silver pen poking out from a bundle of receipts in his arm rest.
The driver said the job was booked through company Get Transfer, which regularly takes passengers into the Alps.
But he claimed he was unaware that he would be driving a high-risk government official, and said he had exposed 'a very serious security breach'.
Mr Mimun said he told Mr Lammy it was up to the passengers to pay €700 (£588) out of a €1,550 (£1,305) fare — the rest covered by the transfer service.
However he said he 'snatched the receipt from his hand'.
Days ago, Mr Lammy, 52 — who oversees His Majesty's Diplomatic Service — tweeted his support for France.
He posted on Tuesday after President Emmanuel Macron's state visit was announced: 'France is one of our closest neighbours, friends, and allies.'
But Mr Mimun branded him a 'thug' and a 'liar'.
Last night a spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told The Sun: 'We totally refute these allegations.
'The fare was paid in full. The Foreign Secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft. As there is an ongoing legal process, it would be inappropriate to comment further.'
Prosecutor Boris Duffau confirmed a taxi driver had been charged with theft after a disagreement over payment of a fare and will appear in court in Bonneville on November 3.
The driver was 'placed under judicial supervision with a driving ban and 2,000 euro (£1,690) bail'.
He added: 'The driver left after the two customers had got out of his car, with their luggage still in the boot. He dropped them (the bags) off at a municipal police station the next day.'
He said it was considered theft because of the length of time he kept the belongings.
Mr Mimun is also accused of taking cash from the baggage, helping himself to the amount he insisted he was owed.
An ally of Mr Lammy said: 'Anyone choosing to believe made-up stories and photos from a rogue taxi driver charged with a serious crime by French prosecutors over the UK Foreign Secretary needs to get a grip.'
Sources close to Mr Lammy also stressed that the driver was sacked by the firm, suggesting there was no dispute over money.
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'Security' peril
SERIOUS concerns were raised last night over whether taxi driver Nasim Mimun had been security vetted.
He insisted he was licensed to transport VIPs — but added that he had not been notified in advance of David Lammy's status.
But Dai Davies, former head of royal protection, said that government ministers must not be put in harm's way.
He said: 'Serious questions must be asked. Was this taxi driver security cleared?'
Ex-Home Office Minister Kevin Foster added: 'There should be a good reason why our Foreign Secretary is travelling in what sounds like a random taxi.
'It raises obvious questions if items like an agreed contract and identity of driver are not in place.'
And Shadow Foreign Secretary Dame Priti Patel said: 'This is a concerning saga with potentially serious implications.'
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