Living rent-free in capital
It takes a lot of nerve to claim that diplomatic immunity lets you live rent-free in a pleasant luxury flat overlooking Ottawa’s Glebe neighbourhood. And Friday the Ontario Superior Court told US embassy employee Betsy Zouroudis to pay up or get out. She had rented the top floor of a townhouse in the Glebe last year. But then she refused to pay and in a letter from her lawyer argued she had “diplomatic immunity” from the landlord and tenant board. Justice Rohan Bansie delivered the bad news. He told Zouroudis that paying rent is a commercial activity not covered by diplomatic immunity. Zouroudis’ lawyer had argued the only way to make her subject to the rent payments was for the US to waive her diplomatic status.
Parasite gov’t worker – should be fired