Boris Becker’s alleged diplomatic passport of the Central African Republic is becoming increasingly curious.
The three-time Wimbledon winner vigorously refuted the accusations made on Tuesday that the document he brought into the ongoing insolvency proceedings in Great Britain was a forgery. “It is a fact that I am a diplomat of the Central African Republic today,” Becker said in a video interview with the top magazine.
He also assured that he had been appointed Attache for Sport, Culture and Humanitarian Affairs by President Faustin Archange Touadera in April, and received the passport from Ambassador Daniel Emery Dede in April. He could not say more “on this subject”.
The head of the Central African Foreign Minister’s office had previously told the French news agency AFP that the document was a forgery. Becker had claimed political immunity with the passport, citing his diplomatic status. This was confirmed by Becker’s lawyer Oliver Moser to the Sports Information Service (SID) at the end of last week.
However, Becker now denied that his privileges were connected with the current insolvency proceedings in his adopted country. “One has nothing to do with the other,” explained the 50-year-old. The sum demanded by him is “long since deposited”.
As far as his exact duties as attaché for sport, culture and humanitarian affairs for the Central African Republic are concerned, Becker remained vague: “I have not yet been to Banguil (the capital) because I have been very busy in the last few weeks. But I will fly to Banguil very soon.”
According to Becker’s statement, questions remain unanswered. Already on Monday the Foreign Minister of the Central African Republic, Charles Armel Doubane, had denied in a telephone conversation with the daily Die Welt that Becker enjoys diplomatic status in his country. Doubane explained that his signature was necessary for such a document to be issued. However, he had never signed such documents.
Cherubin Mologbama, Doubane’s senior foreign ministry employee, also explained that the serial number of Becker’s passport issued in March 2018 is to be one of several blank documents “stolen in 2014”. Also, his function as “Special Attache for Sport and Cultural Affairs” was not listed on the passport, but rather as a “Commissioner for Financial Matters”. “Mr. Becker’s job description doesn’t exist,” Mologbama said.
The three-time Wimbledon winner Becker had been declared insolvent by a bankruptcy court in London on 21 June 2017 on account of unsettled debts. Becker asserted on Tuesday that the allegedly claimed 3.9 million euros had “meanwhile been deposited with the insolvency administrator. In the UK, bankruptcies are actually cancelled after one year. According to Becker, however, the definitive decision in his case will only be made at the end of July as to whether or not my year of insolvency has expired with legal effect.
Insolvency proceedings in the UK can be extended beyond 12 months if the insolvency administrator believes that the bankrupt is dishonest and has not been sufficiently involved in the search for assets. A court has to decide on an extension. However, it is controversial whether a diplomat can easily be prosecuted in court.