French taxi driver cleared after dispute with Labour MP David Lammy over fare, luggage.
A French taxi driver accused of stealing £590 from Labour MP David Lammy has been acquitted due to a lack of evidence, a prosecutor said. Nassim Mimun drove the deputy prime minister and his wife more than 600km in Italy before heading to Flaine in the French Alps on April 11. The dispute started when Lammy refused to pay Mimun's claim that he was owed £700 for the fare.
According to prosecutors, the tone of the conversation escalated between Lammy and Mimun over the cost of the journey. However, it is reported that Lammy had actually paid an upfront fee of £590 through a transfer service.
Mimun dropped off his passengers' luggage at a police station the next day but kept their belongings for more than 24 hours, which prosecutors consider theft.
Despite both parties filing complaints, only Lammy's was deemed substantial enough to charge Mimun with "theft of cash and personal belongings". Mimun denied that he had stolen from Lammy.
A French taxi driver accused of stealing £590 from Labour MP David Lammy has been acquitted due to a lack of evidence, a prosecutor said. Nassim Mimun drove the deputy prime minister and his wife more than 600km in Italy before heading to Flaine in the French Alps on April 11. The dispute started when Lammy refused to pay Mimun's claim that he was owed £700 for the fare.
According to prosecutors, the tone of the conversation escalated between Lammy and Mimun over the cost of the journey. However, it is reported that Lammy had actually paid an upfront fee of £590 through a transfer service.
Mimun dropped off his passengers' luggage at a police station the next day but kept their belongings for more than 24 hours, which prosecutors consider theft.
Despite both parties filing complaints, only Lammy's was deemed substantial enough to charge Mimun with "theft of cash and personal belongings". Mimun denied that he had stolen from Lammy.
I mean, I've heard of long journeys but that's just ridiculous. And what's with the luggage thing? If he wasn't getting paid in full, why did he drop it off at the police station and then keep it? It sounds like a load of nonsense to me 
. I'm glad he was cleared though, I wouldn't want someone to get accused of theft just because they had a disagreement with someone famous 
. And what's with Lammy being in the taxi in the first place? Wasn't he supposed to have an official car or something? 
. I mean, who takes a Labour MP for a ride across Italy and then accuses him of stealing £590? Nassim Mimun's story just didn't add up, you know? And the fact that Lammy had already paid Mimun with a transfer service makes me think he was just trying to get out of paying the full amount 
. It's not like Lammy is some kind of rich celebrity who can afford to splurge on taxis, he's a public figure who gets taken for a ride all the time.
. I mean, the prosecution had some pretty weak evidence against Mimun and yet they still tried to charge him with theft. It just highlights the inconsistencies in our justice system and how sometimes the ones who are supposed to be protected – like public figures – don't get the support they need.
. I guess you could say that this whole situation was a bit of a wild ride (pun intended!)
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. I mean, i feel bad for the guy getting accused of theft and all but c'mon Lammy, you're a public figure, can't you just pay up without making a scene? 
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600km in Italy too, sounds like a long trip just to charge some extra cash 
and keeping the luggage for over 24 hours is some serious questionable behavior...i don't think that's really theft, more like holding onto something for personal gain 
. and yeah, the fact that Lammy paid £590 upfront already seems shady. like, why would anyone try to steal from someone they just handed money to? it's all so suspicious...
. And honestly, I think this whole thing was just a PR stunt to get some attention for Lammy's own agenda 
, I'm stuck on my tablet trying to comment on this story... anyway, back to the news... it seems like the prosecution had a pretty weak case against Mimun, and now he's free to go 
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meanwhile lammy had already paid the upfront fee through a transfer service so what's he really been charged with here? it just seems like another case of a rich person getting taken advantage of and the system not being able to hold the perpetrator accountable. 
It's not like it was an issue with the meter or anything, he just refused to budge on the £700 claim. And then Mimun has the nerve to say he was owed that amount? 
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. The thing is, the Labour MP David Lammy didn't even have the £590 in his account when the fee was paid through transfer service 
...it's like someone took it out of thin air! 
. And what about the luggage issue? Wasn't it just left at the police station overnight? 
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