Three Hours in Singha Durbar: German Envoy’s Hostage-Like Ordeal

Kathmandu — Germany’s Ambassador to Nepal, Udo Volz, has responded to reports claiming he was kept in a hostage-like situation for three hours during a visit to the Prime Minister’s Office at Singha Durbar this Monday.

Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the German envoy clarified that neither he nor the embassy had communicated with any media outlet regarding the incident.

“Nepali media has recently published news about my visit to the Prime Minister’s Office in various forms and manners,” Ambassador Volz wrote. “I would like to clarify that neither I personally nor the German Embassy have had any communication with any journalists in this regard. We have also not said anything to any publication house concerning this matter.”

While Ambassador Volz offered no further details about Monday’s events, it is understood that his visit to Singha Durbar came after the Prime Minister’s Office took a keen interest in a passport procurement case involving a German company. Reports subsequently emerged alleging that secretariat staff had subjected the ambassador to disrespectful treatment during the visit.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that European Union ambassadors stationed in Nepal held an informal discussion yesterday regarding the incident. However, Ambassador Volz neither confirmed nor denied these claims in his statement.