Retired German tennis star Boris Becker‘s diplomatic passport, making him a sports envoy for the Central African Republic and giving him immunity from bankruptcy, is a fake, the country’s foreign minister reportedly said.
“The copy of Boris Becker’s passport that I saw and that has been circulating on social media is a clumsy fake,” Central African Republic foreign minister Charles Armel Doubane said, according to Reuters, adding to Deutsche Welle that Doubane’s signature on it was not his, and that “the [passport] number belongs to a series that was stolen.”
Becker, a six-time Grand Slam singles champion and Olympic gold medalist, said in April that he was appointed the Central African Republic’s Attache for Sports and Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs in the European Union.
A photo was released of Becker shaking hands with the country’s president, and his role was reported to give him immunity from bankruptcy proceedings in Great Britain. But Becker does not have diplomatic status, according to Doubane’s comments.
After Doubane’s comments were published, Becker’s lawyer provided a certificate that the lawyer said proved Becker was appointed an attache by the Central African Republic, according to Deutsche Welle.
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Diplomatic honours for me ! I have been appointed by the Central African Republic 🇨🇫 as its Attache’ for Sports/Humanitarian/Cultural Affairs in the European Union 🇪🇺
— Boris Becker (@TheBorisBecker) April 27, 2018
