A WEALTHY UN ambassador has been cleared of unfairly sacking his former personal assistant.

Chief Oladeinde Fernandez, a billionaire Nigerian who previously lived in Drumsheugh, Edinburgh, had denied the accusation by Scott Rutherford, 26. Mr Rutherford's employment ended a year ago when the diplomat left Scotland.

Mr Rutherford, of Cedar Drive, Port Seton, East Lothian, claimed he lost his job after complaining that the ambassador was rude to his staff.

However, Jim Price, the diplomat's solicitor, said it was a clear redundancy situation because his client was transferring to Brussels.

An employment tribunal in Edinburgh had heard that, after the dismissal, Mr Rutherford wrote to Chief Fernandez, claiming a tribunal would prove ''embarrassing to the family''.

However, Mr Rutherford, had insisted it was not an attempt to blackmail his former employer, a Yoruba tribal chief.

Mr Price said yesterday that the tribunal had rejected Mr Rutherford's claim.