![Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov. ©Marat Abilov](/userdata/news_en/2013/news_23350/thumb_b/photo_33595.jpg)
"Every family has a black sheep," Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov said, commenting the notorious behavior of some of the country's diplomats abroad, Tengrinews reports. He raised the issue because Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General has initiated a criminal case against Kazakhstan's diplomats of the General Consulate in Frankfurt am Main who were caught "smurfing" cigarettes. "Unfortunately, every family has a black sheep, but we are taking tough measures to root out all the manifestation of negligence, complacency and incivility," Minister Idrisov said answering questions of Kazakhstan Senators during today's meeting in the government. "We have had incidents when our diplomats behaving crudely and disgracefully in European countries. We always react to such case immediately, including the recent occurrence in Frankfurt. We have toughened requirements to our consular service," he said. All the Kazakhstan consular services working abroad are being thoroughly checked no and "disciplinary measures are being taken" to root out deviations from the rules, he said. "I agree with you that we have had a whole series of alarming signals that tell us to pay more attention to discipline in the Foreign Ministry. We are taking action on these signals. The case with our diplomats in the Consulate General in Frankfurt was the most recent disgraceful signal," Idrisov told the Senators. Consul General of Kazakhstan in Frankfurt am Main Akhat Alpysbayev, 53, and Consul Kairat Adyrov, 36, were arrested in Germany in the end of August this year. The arrest warrants were issued over allegation of organized importation of untaxed cigarettes. Describing the situation Idrisov said that one of the ex-officials of the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan, working in the diplomatic mail service and knowing how the system works, abused his official position and used it for his own ends. As a results a small group was created and was smuggling cigarettes to Germany with impunity for a long time. "We have taken actions to suppress this group together with the German authorities. We are cooperation with our German colleagues from law enforcement authorities. The situation is pretty clear for us, we have identified the chain of people" involved in the wrongdoing both on Kazakhstan and on German sides, he continued. "Of course we are talking about a criminal liability for those two diplomats, because this is a criminal offense. The criminal case has already been initiated by the Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan," he declared. By Renat Tashkinbayev
"Every family has a black sheep," Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Yerlan Idrisov said, commenting the notorious behavior of some of the country's diplomats abroad, Tengrinews reports.
He raised the issue because Kazakhstan's Prosecutor General has initiated a criminal case against Kazakhstan's diplomats of the General Consulate in Frankfurt am Main who were caught "smurfing" cigarettes.
"Unfortunately, every family has a black sheep, but we are taking tough measures to root out all the manifestation of negligence, complacency and incivility," Minister Idrisov said answering questions of Kazakhstan Senators during today's meeting in the government.
"We have had incidents when our diplomats behaving crudely and disgracefully in European countries. We always react to such case immediately, including the recent occurrence in Frankfurt. We have toughened requirements to our consular service," he said.
All the Kazakhstan consular services working abroad are being thoroughly checked no and "disciplinary measures are being taken" to root out deviations from the rules, he said.
"I agree with you that we have had a whole series of alarming signals that tell us to pay more attention to discipline in the Foreign Ministry. We are taking action on these signals. The case with our diplomats in the Consulate General in Frankfurt was the most recent disgraceful signal," Idrisov told the Senators.
Consul General of Kazakhstan in Frankfurt am Main Akhat Alpysbayev, 53, and Consul Kairat Adyrov, 36, were arrested in Germany in the end of August this year. The arrest warrants were issued over allegation of organized importation of untaxed cigarettes.
Describing the situation Idrisov said that one of the ex-officials of the Foreign Ministry of Kazakhstan, working in the diplomatic mail service and knowing how the system works, abused his official position and used it for his own ends. As a results a small group was created and was smuggling cigarettes to Germany with impunity for a long time.
"We have taken actions to suppress this group together with the German authorities. We are cooperation with our German colleagues from law enforcement authorities. The situation is pretty clear for us, we have identified the chain of people" involved in the wrongdoing both on Kazakhstan and on German sides, he continued.
"Of course we are talking about a criminal liability for those two diplomats, because this is a criminal offense. The criminal case has already been initiated by the Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan," he declared.
By Renat Tashkinbayev