Sacked Honduras ambassador apologises for wild party

The former Honduran ambassador to Colombia, Carlos Rodriguez, says he accepts responsibility for a wild Christmas party held at the embassy.

Carlos Rodriguez, who was sacked by the Honduran foreign ministry, apologised but also said he had been away on holiday at the time.

An investigation is under way into reports that two alleged prostitutes were at the party on 20 December.

Laptop computers and mobile phones were reportedly stolen from the premises.

"I assume responsibility as the former chief of mission," Mr Rodriguez said.

"I would like to apologise to the government of President (Porfirio) Lobo, to the Honduran people and at the same time to the people and government of Colombia," he told local media.

Mr Rodriguez said he had been on leave from 15 December and had just been informed the day after the party that an official had mislaid a computer.

A committee of inquiry has been set up in Honduras, while in Colombia the authorities are trying to identify the two presumed sex workers.

An embassy employee close to Mr Rodriguez has been accused of organising the party.

US secret service agents were involved in a similar scandal last year, ahead of an official visit by President Barack Obama to Colombia.

They were sent home and disciplined in April 2012 after being accused of taking prostitutes to their hotel rooms on the eve of the Summit of the Americas in the city of Cartagena.