Former British High Commissioner to Ghana, Jon Benjamin, who is now the British Ambassador to Mexico, has reportedly been fired by the British government.
According to a news report by dailymail.co.uk, Jon Benjamin was fired after a video of him pointing a gun at his staff was shared on social media.
In a five-second video clip shared by the British media house, the former British High Commissioner to Ghana was captured pointing an assault rifle at his staff while sitting in the front of a car.
The report indicated that the incident took place during an official trip to Durango and Sinaloa, two northern Mexican states blighted by drug cartel violence.
The said video clip, which is believed to have been shared on social media by disgruntled local employees of the British embassy in Mexico City unhappy with their treatment, showed the British diplomat pointing a gun at his staff while smiling.
The video was captioned: "In a context of daily killings in Mexico, he dares to joke."
Another post added: "The British Embassy in Mexico has a history of hiding things from the public, including how Jon Benjamin’s attitude of being above everything has resulted in the systematic harassment of Mexican staff."
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office indicated that it was aware of the incident and has taken the appropriate action against it.
"We are aware of this incident and have taken appropriate action. Where internal issues do arise, the FCDO has robust HR processes to address them," parts of the statement were quoted.
Jon Benjamin was the British High Commissioner to Ghana from 2014 to 2017.
He has been the British Ambassador to Mexico since 2021 and has also served as the country's top diplomat to Chile, Turkey, Indonesia, and the United States, during his 35-year career in the diplomatic service.
Watch the video of the incident below:
British Ambassador to Mexico, Jon Benjamin, points a semi automatic weapon at concerned Mexican staff member. In a context of daily killings in Mexico by drug dealers, he dares to joke. @DailyMirror @guardian @TheSun @TheEconomist @Telegraph @DailyMailUK @FCDOGovUK pic.twitter.com/1obqgsNnTD
— Subdiplomatic (@subdiplomatic) May 28, 2024
BAI/DO
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