LONDON // Britain's ambassador to Kuwait was ordered back to London after impregnating a married woman who works at the embassy, reports said yesterday. Michael Aron, 50, a father of four whose wife is the UK ambassador in Belgium, returned to Britain at the start of the year after little more than 12 months in Kuwait. According to the Daily Mail and Al Watan newspapers, Mr Aron had an affair with Victoria Cumming, 35, who worked at the embassy in Kuwait City and is married to David Fisk, a banker.
Ms Cumming is reported to have returned to England to have the baby while Mr Aron is at the foreign office in London in a senior position on the Middle East desk. A friend of Mr Aron in Kuwait told Al Watan: "He left without saying goodbye - He has been very quiet since the time the incident occurred and the gossip came out in the open - Many of those who work for the embassy were surprised to learn that he was recalled."
The Daily Mail quoted a source close to Ms Cumming as saying: "Vicki told us all that the baby was Michael's and made no secret of it. We were all surprised because she is a married woman living with her husband. Under Sharia law, she could face imprisonment if it was proved that the baby was not her husband's, but she didn't seem to care who knew." The foreign office declined to comment on the reports, saying that it did not discuss the personal lives of its diplomats or staff.
A senior diplomat in London said: "This is not the sort of publicity the diplomatic service welcomes. Unfortunately, there have been a few too many of these sort of stories doing the rounds about British ambassadors recently." It was the third time in less than six months that married British envoys had become entangled in allegations of extramarital affairs. Frank Baker officially took over as British ambassador to Kuwait in February.
Ahmad al Farsy, head of public law at Kuwait University, said judges could impose prison sentences of up to five years on people involved in affairs. "He is an ambassador and has diplomatic immunity." It was unknown whether Ms Cumming's position grants her similar immunity. foreign.desk@thenational.ae