Latest news with #NassimMimun
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
David Lammy forced to deny having a GUN with him during French ski trip visit as taxi row deepens
David Lammy has been forced to deny he was carrying a gun during a chaotic taxi trip which he is alleged to have dodged a £590 fare on. The Foreign Secretary has been plunged into a humiliating row after taxi driver Nassim Mimun, 40, claimed Mr Lammy and his wife, Nicola Green, refused to pay the fare for a 360-mile journey from Italy to France. The Foreign Office has scrambled to extinguish the claims, insisting that Mr Lammy and his wife had paid the fare in advance, were victims and the driver has been charged with theft after driving off with their luggage. Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, and his partner were travelling to the French Alps for a private holiday, having joined the King for a state visit to Italy in April. Mr Mimun claims he took the couple more than 360 miles from the Italian town of Forli to the French ski resort of Flaine. The driver claims Mr Lammy became 'aggressive' when he was asked to pay 700 euros (£590) of the 1,550 euro bill, with the rest covered by the booking service. But the taxi row has deepened today after Mr Mimun claimed the Foreign Secretary was carrying a weapon, The Sun reports. No evidence has been put forward to prove Mr Lammy had a gun and a source close to the Foreign Secretary told newspaper: 'It's a completely absurd allegation. Of course he didn't have a gun. 'The allegation speaks more to the character of the taxi driver than anything else.' Foreign Secretary David Lammy and his wife Nicola Green had spent three days in Italy accompanying King Charles on a state visit before taking the taxi to France. Lammy and Green are pictured arriving for a state banquet amid Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla's visit, at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, Italy, April 9, 2025 In court documents, it has also been revealed how Mr Mimun claimed to French officials that two cars were following them on the huge journey. Mr Lammy and his wife could be called to France to give evidence after a court hearing was set for November in relation to Mr Mimun being charged with theft. According to legal documents, Mr Mimun told prosecutors: 'When I received the transport request, the name of the victims was not mentioned nor that they were authority figures, which is what constitutes a transport risk so the tariff is not the same. 'I asked for 700 euros to be paid. They refused, and they left. He came towards me. I left in the car. I was scared, because I knew since Forli that he had a gun on him. I called the Swiss police. I pressed on the GPS, to find the nearest police station or gendarmerie, and it indicated the municipal police of Cluses. 'By coincidence, they said I stole 700 euros from them. The suitcase had a code. We were followed from Italy by two vehicles because of her husband.' Mr Mimun's on the record statement was handed to vice-prosecutor Aude Menaige in the French commune of Bonneville on May 6 - three weeks after the trip. Questions are also mounting over why Mr Lammy had no bodyguard in the car and whether or not Mr Mimun had even been vetted. Mr Mimun has accused Mr Lammy of 'acting like a thug' during the subsequent argument, in which he insisted that the fare had already been 'paid in full' when the six-hour journey was booked via an agency. He also said he had exposed 'a very serious security breach', as he had not been told he had one of the most senior members of the British government in the back of his Ford Kuga. The driver, meanwhile, is alleged to have 'fraudulently removed luggage and cash' from the couple, who have claimed in a police statement that he attempted to intimidate them by opening his vehicle's glove compartment, which revealed a knife. He insists that he did not knowingly take the couple's bags - claiming instead that he decided to go to the police station to lodge a complaint when they refused to pay and had not realised the luggage was still in his vehicle. He said he handed the bags over to police, who worked out that they belonged to the government official and his wife. 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.' An FCDO spokesperson said: '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 fired by his employer and charged with theft.
The Sun
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
French taxi driver says David Lammy ‘acted like a thug' in £600 fare row as first pics of his trash-strewn car emerge
FOREIGN Secretary David Lammy has been accused of "acting like a thug" after he "lost it" during a furious £600 taxi fare row. Cab driver Nassim Mimun, 40, claims Lammy refused to pay for the six-hour drive to a French ski resort - and he has now shown off pictures of his trash-strewn car. 7 7 Lammy, 52, spent three days with the King and Queen on a state visit to Italy last month before he and his wife were driven from Forli, to Flaine, in the French Alps. Chaos quickly erupted as the cab driver alleged Mr Lammy "became aggressive" when asked to pay the £588 fare. Mimun accused the Labour member of "snatching the receipt from his hand" when asked to pay for the taxi. Lammy has publicly said he "totally refutes" these allegations as he said the fare was paid in full. The driver has now added that the couple left his car "in a filthy state". Pictures taken from Mimun show the back seats of his cab left with several pieces of rubbish. He told The Sun the images were taken just after Lammy and his wife left the taxi as he blasted them for not showing any respect. A sandwich packet, plastic fork and a discarded coffee cup can all be seen in the photo. The initial dispute is said to be over the amount of money owed. The transport company who booked the cab paid for the fare at the rate they were offered prior to the journey. But Mimun claims this was before he realised who he was driving due to Lammy's senior position within the British government. The driver has now said: "I requested an extra 700 euros, because I realised when they got in that they were VIPs. There luggage made that clear. "When I found out who Mr Lammy was, later on, I also realised that he had put my life in danger. There were no bodyguards or anything." This meant when Lammy exited the car and Mimun requested the extra payment a bitter row broke out. The driver clarified it was up to the passengers to pay £600 out of the £1,306 total fare. 7 7 Mr Lammy and artist wife Nicola Green, 53, insist didn't owe any money. The driver then accused Lammy of turning into a "thug". He said: "When I dropped the couple off in France, and asked for the extra money, Mr Lammy lost it. He was acting like a thug. "Because I was scared of Mr Lammy's behaviour, I drove off from them. "The doors of the car were open, and I had no idea their luggage was still in my car. "It was only when I got to the police station that I realised that the luggage was still there. It wasn't stolen, I handed it to the police." Officers investigating are said to have found two diplomatic passports, two licence plates, and a coded briefcase in the boot of the taxi. When I found out who Mr Lammy was, later on, I also realised that he had put my life in danger. There were no bodyguards or anything Nassim MimunCab driver The driver filed a formal complaint, leading the Bonneville prosecutor's office to open up an investigation. But prosecutor Boris Duffau has since confirmed that the taxi driver is being charged with theft following the investigation. This is said to be due to him driving away with valuable goods belonging to Lammy. Mimun will now face a court hearing on November 3 to face the charge of "fraudulently removing luggage and cash". Duffau said: "The stories between the two parties are not the same. "Of course, the passengers are not saying the same thing as the driver when he filed a complaint. "The passengers have assured that the driver had already been paid. The driver said the opposite." 7 7
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE French cabbie says David Lammy 'lost it' then 'acted like a thug' during row over £600 fare - before leaving the back of his taxi 'covered in rubbish'
A French taxi driver has accused Foreign Secretary David Lammy of 'acting like a thug' and 'losing it' during a furious row over a £600 taxi fare. Nassim Mimun, 40, said he was left feeling 'scared' during a trip delivering Mr Lammy, 52, and his 53-year-old artist wife, Nicola Green, to an Alpine ski resort. Mr Mimun was tracked down by the Mail to his home in Avignon after prosecutors opened an investigation into the bitter row. It includes allegations that Mr Lammy and his wife both became 'very aggressive' after refusing to pay the extra £600 as part of the cost of the journey, which lasted almost six hours. He claimed that Mr Lammy 'snatched the receipt from his hand' when he said it was up to the passengers to pay €700 (£588) out of a €1,550 (£1,305) total fare - the rest of which was covered by a transfer service used to book the trip. Mr Mimun also said he had exposed 'a very serious security breach', as he had not been told he had one of the most senior members of the British government in the back of his Ford Kuga. He added that the couple had left his car 'in a filthy state', and shared pictures of the back seat with MailOnline. Mr Lammy has vehemently denied any wrongdoing via the Foreign Office, saying 'the fare was paid in full,' and they are counter-suing Mr Mimun for driving off with their luggage. When approached for comment regarding the latest claims today, they repeated the same statement. Meanwhile Mr Mimun has been charged with theft, according to the local prosecutor, with the Foreign Office stating that Mr Lammy and his wife 'have been named as victims in this matter'. MailOnline also understands that the driver allegedly threatened Ms Green, who was sat beside him, by opening a compartment between the seats and showing her a knife. Mr Mimun insists that he did not knowingly take the couple's bags - claiming instead that he decided to go to the police station to lodge a complaint when they refused to pay and had not realised the luggage was still in his vehicle. When he got there, he said, he handed the bags over to police, who worked out that they belonged to the government official and his wife. Recounting the journey on the evening of April 10, Mr Mimun said he had not been told whom he was picking up in Forli, near Bologna, Italy. Mr Mimun said the job had been booked through Get Transfer, a transfer company which regularly takes passengers up into the Alps. 'There was no names of any of the passengers on the booking slip,' he said. 'Get Transfer just said my passengers were ordinary people. 'I'd received a request from Get Transfer for a Mercedes S-Class for the trip, presumably because the client wanted an upgrade, but I didn't have one. 'The rate for an S-Class for ordinary people is 3500 euros per day, and for VIPs and government people it goes up to 5,100 euros per day. 'I requested an extra 700 euros for the Kuga, because I realised when they got in that they were VIPs. There luggage made that clear. 'When I found out who Mr Lammy was, later on, I also realised that he had put my life in danger. There were no bodyguards or anything.' Mr Lammy and his wife had just finished accompanying King Charles and Queen Camilla on a three-day State Visit to Italy. 'Get Transfer were supposed to pay me the full fare, but they stopped the payment,' said Mr Mimun.' The driver said it was up to the passengers to pay €700 (£600) out of a €1,550 total fare. 'If I had been told he was a VIP representing a foreign government, I would have had to declare my identity to the French embassy in Italy and Switzerland ,' said Mr Mimun. 'Nobody told me they were VIPs, let alone part of the British government,' said Mr Mimun. 'When I dropped the couple off in France, and asked for the extra money, Mr Lammy lost it. He was acting like a thug. 'Because I was scared of Mr Lammy's behaviour, I drove off from them. The doors of the car were open, and I had no idea their luggage was still in my car. 'It was only when I got to the police station that I realised that the luggage was still there. It wasn't stolen, I handed it to the police. Everything was handed over, including a briefcase with a code to open it. 'There was a rolled up artwork, that lawyers told me was worth millions of euros. 'I retain a document proving nothing was paid for the extra, and a copy is now with police and prosecutors.' Officers found two diplomatic passports and two licence plates, as well as a coded briefcase, in the boot of the taxi, allowing them to formally identify Mr Lammy and his wife. 'I'm licensed to transport VIPs, I got my licence in 2007, but, again, I wasn't told Mr Lammy was a VIP,' said Mr Mimun. 'If I'd known Mr Lammy was such an important government figure, I would have charged a lot more. Nobody told me he was so senior. 'In this type of transfer, we're driving special people, with suitcases and sensitive documents. All of that comes at a price. And they could very well have been armed, too.' Mr Mimun also complained about Mr Lammy and his wife leaving his car 'in a filthy state'. 'There was rubbish all over the place – you'd expect people like this to show more respect,' Mr Mimun added. The driver filed a formal complaint, leading the Bonneville prosecutor's office to open an investigation. Bonneville prosecutor Boris Duffau confirmed that the taxi driver was being charged with theft following a police investigation. He will now face a court hearing on November 3 to face the charge of 'fraudulently removing luggage and cash' after he drove off with Lammy's belongings in the boot. 'An investigation has been opened following a disagreement regarding the payment of a taxi ride between Italy and France,' Mr Duffau told the BBC. 'He has been charged with theft (of luggage and cash) to the detriment of Nicola Green and David Lindon Lammy.' Mr Duffau earlier said: 'The stories between the two parties are not the same. Of course, the passengers are not saying the same thing as the driver when he filed a complaint. 'The passengers have assured that the driver had already been paid. The driver said the opposite.' Mr Mimun will now face a court hearing on November 3 to face the charge of 'fraudulently removing luggage and cash' after he drove off with Lammy's belongings in the boot. In addition to filing a complaint with local authorities, the driver also complained to the British Embassy in Paris, saying he simply wanted to be paid. The FCDO said yesterday and today that it strongly disputes the taxi driver's version of events and that the fare had been 'paid in full'. 'The foreign secretary and his wife are named as victims in this matter and the driver has been charged with theft,' a spokesperson said.
