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News
The case of the French diplomat and the missing Burgundy
France’s consul general to Hong Kong and Macau has stepped down from his post following revelations that he stole two very expensive bottles of Burgundy from an exclusive club.
Marc Fonbaustier is accused of hiding two bottles, worth over £4,000, in his suit before exiting the Hong Kong Country Club’s restaurant, the Wine Cellar.
He was apparently caught in the act by a CCTV camera. He resigned last week for “strictly personal” reasons.
This is not the first time Fonbaustier has fallen foul of wine pilfering allegations during his year long stint in the Far East. A few months ago he returned a bottle to the Hong Kong Golf Club that was reported missing saying he thought it had been offered as a present.
A spokesman for the French foreign office said that Fonbaustier had been suspended and was under investigation for actions that did not meet, “the requirements of professional conduct for a French diplomat.”
Fonbaustier’s deputy, Agnes Humruzian, has replaced him for the interim period. It has still not been revealed from which producers, vintages or crus the bottles came from.
Rupert Millar, 02.12.2010