Germany expels 2nd Vietnamese diplomat over ‘kidnapping’

Berlin, September 22

The German government is expelling a second Vietnamese diplomat suspected of involvement in what it called the kidnapping in Berlin of a former Vietnamese oil executive.

Trinh Xuan Thanh, accused in Vietnam of mismanagement at a subsidiary of national oil and gas company PetroVietnam, disappeared in Berlin in July. Shortly after, Germany ordered Vietnam’s intelligence attache to leave the country.

Vietnamese authorities say the 51-year-old turned himself in to police in his homeland in August.

German Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul says Vietnam’s ambassador was informed yesterday that a second diplomat had to leave the country because there was “evidence that he was involved in this incident.”

Breul said today that Germany expects Vietnam to apologise for the incident, pledge not to repeat it and hold those responsible to account. AP