Sudan Customs Officers demand Bribe from Indian Ambassador
It seems some Customs officers at Sudan’s Juba airport demanded money from Indian Ambassador Deepak Vohra for allowing him to board a plane without checking his baggage. It seems it all started when the Indian Consul General in Juba went to the Airport to check-in the baggage of the Ambassador who was travelling to Khartoum. He said four security or customs officers emerged and asked the diplomat to open the baggage for inspection. This happened despite the fact that the baggage which consisted of four packages were clearly labelled as “Embassy of India Khartoum” which the Officers did not bother to respect.
The diplomat tried to explain to the Officers that it was not necessary to search the baggage since the Ambassador had privileges and immunities that exempt him from such searches, but they still insisted on opening the baggage. Under the international Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the baggage of the Head of Diplomatic Mission is exempt from Customs searches.
When the Ambassador, Deepak Vohra himself arrived at the Airport and went to the VIP lounge, two other personnel in plain clothes accosted him in the lounge and told him rudely that they would open his baggage unless he produced the relevant “documents” or gave them money.
When the Ambassador politely asked what documents were needed, they were unable to answer. (Customs officers are the same everywhere). In order to avoid an unpleasant situation, Ambassador Vohra offered to travel without his baggage. As he was on his way to the aircraft, the two officers rudely tried to block his way, but seeing other passengers looking at them, they moved away.
[Source - The Sudan Tribune]