Kathmandu, June 19: German Ambassador to Nepal Udo Volz has issued a clarification regarding his recent visit to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers amid reports linking the visit to the ongoing passport printing contract controversy.
In a statement shared on social media Friday evening, Ambassador Volz said he or Embassy itself have not shared anything to any media outlet about his visit to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Nepalese media have been reporting about my recent visit to the Office of the Prime Minister in various ways. I would like to underline that neither I personally nor the German Embassy have had any exchanges with journalists on this and have not authorised any publication in this respect,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Ambassador Volz had visited the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday morning. Reports had linked the visit to concerns surrounding the passport printing contract, which is held by a German company.
Some media outlets had earlier reported, citing government sources, that the ambassador sought a meeting with Prime Minister Balendra Shah, but was received by advisers. Ambassador Volz had to wait for an extended period before being sent back by the Prime Minister’s secretary amid allegedly inappropriate behavior.
The reports also suggested that the visit was connected to discussions over alleged irregularities in the passport procurement process and diplomatic engagement involving the contract.
The Commission on Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had detained Mr Thirth Raj Aryal, the Director General of Passport Department and other officials. Even, the CIAA has published a notice to appear German Companies’ authorized persons before the CIAA. #nepal
