Honduras ambassador resigns after alleged embassy orgy

TEGUCIGALPA (AFP) - The Honduran ambassador to Colombia was forced to resign on Saturday after his bodyguard reportedly held a Christmas party with prostitutes at the mission, the foreign ministry in Tegucigalpa said.

Mr Carlos Rodriguez Andino stepped down after Honduran Foreign Minister Arturo Corrales received a report drafted by a special commission appointed to investigate the Dec 20 incident in Bogota.

"In order to safeguard national interests and good relations with the Republic of Colombia, we asked for the ambassador's irrevocable resignation and Mr Rodriguez stepped down, effective immediately," the foreign ministry said.

According to Honduran media reports, the ambassador's bodyguard and close friend Jorge Mendoza organised a party at the embassy to celebrate Christmas that turned into a booze-fueled orgy with prostitutes. Reports said the prostitutes stole embassy computers and cell phones, and defecated on the desks of the ambassador and the commercial attache, after they were asked to leave without being paid.