The suspect’s lawyers “and her government representatives made verbal representations ... that the suspect wished to invoke diplomatic immunity cover”, it said. The South African model said she had no clue who her attacker was until the alleged assault was over. Accusing the first lady’s bodyguards of standing by and watching during the alleged assault, Engels said: “The front of my forehead is busted open. We don’t know where this issue of assault charges is coming from,” the senior government official said. A second official made the same claim, now contradicted by South African authorities, and accused media outlets of a plotting to tarnish the first family’s name.

Source: The Guardian August 16, 2017 14:49 UTC