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பெண்கள், துப்பாக்கிகள், ஆயுதங்கள்
சவுதி தூதரின் அபாயமான ஷாப்பிங்க் லிஸ்ட்
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Saudi ambassador's colourful shopping habits revealed: report
Fri Nov 16, 9:06 AM ET

LONDON (AFP) - The Saudi ambassador to London's allegedly colourful shopping habits have been revealed in an embarrassing expenses claim including guns, karaoke machines and "party night" girls, a report said Friday.


The more than three-million-pound (6.1-million-dollar) claim also includes expenses for top-of-the-range off-road cars, a thermal night-vision kit for his Hummer H2 and a 391-pound bill for a takeaway meal, The Guardian said.

The bills were included in documents submitted to the High Court by a former employee of Prince Mohammed bin Nawwaf bin Abdul Aziz, a nephew of King Abdullah, who is claiming he was not reimbursed for the expenses.

His family's former private secretary Walid El Hage, a Briton of Lebanese extraction, says he spent money on the prince's behalf during trips to Rome, Vienna, Casablanca and Paris in 2004 and 2005.

Items detailed in the expense claim, published by the newspaper in full on its website at http://www.guardian.co.uk/saudi/story/, include:

-- a Beretta pistol for 6,761 euros, as well as antique guns, a shotgun, and swords (66,000 euros). Also two Czech CZ75D and CZ97B pistols, a French Famas assault rifle and a Micro-Uzi machine gun of Israeli origin;

- 43 luxury watches at a cost of 350,000 pounds, including a Patek Philippe for 23,000 and two Jaeger Le Coultre for 17,500 and 16,700;

- a fleet of Yamaha Grizzly and Big Bear quad bikes for 13,000 pounds;

- five Raytheon thermal night vision cameras, to be fitted on an H2 Humvee US-army derivative vehicle: 183,000 dollars;

- a crocodile Birkin bag listed at 18,770 euros. Outfits from the couturiers Lanvin for a further 150,000 euros;

- on a trip to Morocco "hotel extra suite expenses, rooms for girls etc: 1,465 dollars ... girls party night 5: 2,500 dollars... Moroccan sweets arrangement to take away: 250 dollars... HRH cash in hand: 20,000 dollars."

- "two Arab karaoke machines" for 3,180 Saudi riyals.

According to The Guardian, the Saudi diplomat was ordered to repay the money last month, after he ignored the court proceedings. The 54-year-old prince is seeking an "amicable" settlement with his ex-employee, the newspaper said.

A meeting between the two sides has been arranged for next week. El Hage's lawyer, Ian Bloom, said his client was abroad and declined to comment.