Tajik Foreign Ministry probes info on 200 cars stolen in Germany and allegedly found in Tajikistan
DUSHANBE. Dec 20 (Interfax) - The Tajik Foreign Ministry is probing information reported by the German weekly Bild on 200 luxury cars stolen in Germany that were allegedly found in Tajikistan, but at the same time considers this information to be false, a ministry official told Interfax on Friday.
Bild reported that the new owners of the cars are people close to the press officer of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. The Tajik ambassador to Germany and the Tajik presidential press officer have called the information stated in the report "a provocation."
"The Foreign Ministry doubts that this information is true, but we are probing it through diplomatic channels and in cooperation with law enforcement agencies," a high-ranking ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
"Cars leaving Germany or the European Union need a whole package of documents. Without these documents a car will simply not get to Tajikistan," the diplomat said.
The German paper reported, citing Berlin Senator Thomas Heilmann, that the majority of the stolen cars are now possessed by people who have commercial ties or are related to the family of the Tajik president. Heilmann has asked the German Foreign Ministry to explain this situation.
