The Saudi doctor accused of driving into a German Christmas market and killing five people has appeared in court, as anger over ‘security failings’ grows.
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, 50, was remanded in police custody after appearing in front of a judge on Saturday evening.
In a statement, Magdeburg police said: “The judge ordered pre-trial detention for five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm,” its statement said.
It came hours after politicians were heckled over security concerns as they arrived in Magdeburg on Saturday.
Security at Christmas markets in Germany has stepped up in recent years following a deadly attack in Berlin in 2016, but the attacker was able to gain access on Friday via emergency exit points.
Soon after his arrest, reports also began to emerge that the German authorities had been warned of the suspect but considered him “no specific danger”.
Both sides of the political spectrum have commented on the missed opportunity to stop the attacker, AfD’s parliamentary head demanding a parliamentary session to be held to discuss security issues.
Key Points
- Far-right gather in Magdeburg
- Suspect remanded in custody
- Nine-year-old child among five dead, authorities say
- What we know so far about the suspect
Anger grows over security concerns
12:54
Athena Stavrou
As the German city of Magdeburg mourns the loss of people killed in an attack on a Christmas market, anger is growing over “security concerns”.
Security at Christmas markets in Germany has stepped up in recent years following a deadly attack in Berlin in 2016, but the attacker was able to gain access on Friday via emergency exit points.
City official Ronni Krug insisted the security concept for the Magdeburg Christmas market was “constantly being revised and modified.”
He said: “How this case could come about must first be investigated by the police. I will not indulge in speculation. But you can rest assured that we will continue to update the security concept, which we are constantly updating anyway, once we have reached an assessment with our colleagues from the police.”
German Christmas market attack: Everything we know as car attack kills five and injures hundreds
11:59
Athena Stavrou
A driver rammed a car into a crowd of shoppers at a busy German Christmas market on Friday evening, killing at least five people and injuring 200.
An extensive police operation is underway following the attack at the market in the German city of Magdeburg that happened at around 7pm local time on Friday.
Four women and a nine-year-old boy have been killed, with 41 people thought to still be critically injured.
A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia was arrested on Friday following the attack and has been remanded in custody.
Identified as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, he has been in the country since 2006 and according to local media outlets, he reportedly sympathised with the country’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Here’s everything we know about the attack so far:
German Christmas market attack suspect speaks to BBC in resurfaced 2019 interview
11:37
Athena Stavrou
In the days since his arrest, a 2019 BBC video featuring the Magdeburg attack suspect has resurfaced.
In the interview, Taleb al-Abdulmohsen is seen discussing a website he designed to help ex-Muslims flee the Gulf region.
German authorities were warned about suspect
11:21
Athena Stavrou
German authorities received a warning last year about the suspect in a car attack at a Christmas market which killed five people, officials have said.
The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said on social media site X on Sunday it received a tip in late summer 2023.
The said: “This was taken seriously, like every other of the numerous tips.”
The office highlighted it is not an investigative office and said it referred the information to the relevant authorities, following procedure in such cases.
It gave no other details about the suspect or the nature of the warnings.
Who is Taleb al-Abdulmohsen?
11:06
Athena Stavrou
Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, is suspected of ramming his car into a German Christmas market, killing five.
On Saturday evening, he was remanded into custody after appearing in a court in which he was charged with five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm.
Authorities confirmed that he first came to Germany in 2006 and later gained refugee status in 2016.
He worked as a psychiatric doctor in the nearby town of Bernburg, with his workplace issuing a statement describing their shock at the attack.
Posting on Instagram, the Salus-Fachklinikum Bernburg clinic said it was “shocked to learn that the alleged perpetrator worked as a specialist doctor in our enforcement in Bernburg”.
It added that the suspect had been employed there as a psychiatric specialist since March 2020, but he had not been working since October due to illness and holiday.
Pictured: Memorial grows in Magdeburg
10:17
Athena Stavrou
Nine-year-old boy among the dead
09:47
Athena Stavrou
Authorities have confirmed that a nine-year-old boy is among the five people who were killed in an attack on a Christmas market in eastern Germany.
Magdeburg police said that the other victims were four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75.
205 people were injured in the attack including 41 in critical condition.
Watch: Far-right protesters rally in Magdeburg after German Christmas market attack
09:31
Athena Stavrou
Suspect remanded after appearing before judge
08:55
Athena Stavrou
The suspected driver of the car that rammed into a Christmas market in Germany has been remanded in custody after appearing in court on Saturday night.
“The judge ordered pre-trial detention for five counts of murder, multiple attempted murder and multiple counts of dangerous bodily harm,” its statement said.
Five people, including a nine-year-old child, have died following the attack on Friday night.
Pictured: Far-right in Magdeburg
08:35
Athena Stavrou
Far-right gather in Magdeburg
08:33
Athena Stavrou
A far-right rally gathered in eastern germany after five people - including a child - were killed in an attack on a Christmas market.
Around 1,000 people congregated in the city of Magdeburg on Saturday night, after misinformation about the motives of the suspected attacker spread online.
The crowd was seen with a banner with the word ‘Remigration’ and local media reported there were some minor altercations with the police.
Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor identified by local media as Taleb A, who had lived in Germany since 2006 and reportedly sympathised with Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Interior minister Nancy Faeser expressed concern that the attack could be exploited by the far right, but said little could be done to prevent seemingly coordinated gatherings.
On Saturday, she also described the suspect as an Islamaphobe.
Members of the public gave first aid to victims, witness says
08:00
Andy Gregory
An eyewitness has described members of the public giving first aid to victims of the attack in the moments after it unfolded. tells the BBC he was spending the evening out with his girlfriend and her family when the attack unfolded.
“Suddenly there was a rumbling and the sound of shattered glass,” the eyewitness told the BBC. “People began to panic. I was next to where it happened. For me it was just the sound first.”
“It took a few minutes for first paramedics to arrive, but it wasn’t enough because there were already 200 people hurt,” he said. “Most of the first aid was done by people there.”
Interior minister warns against attack being exploited for political gains
07:00
Andy Gregory
Interior minister Nancy Faeser expressed concern that the attack could be exploited by the far right, but said little could be done to prevent seemingly coordinated gatherings.
“We have freedom of assembly in this country,” she told Reuters, speaking from the scene of the attack. “We have to do everything possible to make sure the attack isn’t misused by either side.”
Attack has echoes of 2016 Berlin atrocity
06:00
Rhian Lubin
Friday’s attack comes almost exactly eight years after a similar atrocity at the Berlin Christmas market.
Anis Amri rammed a large truck into the market, killing 13 people and injuring dozens more on December 19, 2016. The attack was later claimed by Isis.
Using fake documents, Amri fled to Italy and died in a shootout with police near Milan four days later.
Just three days after the attack the market defiantly reopened and was bustling once again.
Berliners and tourists milled around the stalls selling traditional gingerbread and gifts under the watchful eye of patrolling squads of armed police, surrounded by protective concrete barriers, our reporting from the time notes.
‘Children screaming, crying for mama’: Eyewitness returns to scene to pay respects
05:00
Athena Stavrou
Andrea Reis, who had been at the market on Friday, returned on Saturday with her daughter Julia to lay a candle by the church overlooking the site. She said that had it not been for a matter of moments, they may have been in the car’s path.
“I said, ‘let’s go and get a sausage’, but my daughter said ‘no let’s keep walking around’. If we’d stayed where we were we’d have been in the car’s path,” she said.
Tears ran down her face as she described the scene. “Children screaming, crying for mama. You can’t forget that,” she said.
Christmas markets a cherished part of German culture
04:00
Andy Gregory
Christmas markets are a huge part of German culture as an annual holiday tradition cherished since the Middle Ages and successfully exported to much of the Western world.
In Berlin alone, more than 100 markets opened late last month and brought the smells of mulled wine, roasted almonds and bratwurst to the capital.
Other markets abound across the country.
‘We are shaking’: Residents describe sickening noise of crash
03:00
Andy Gregory
Magdeburg resident Dorin Steffen told German news agency dpa that she was at a concert in a nearby church when she heard the sirens. The noise was so loud “you had to assume that something terrible had happened”.
She called the attack “a dark day” for the city.
“We are shaking,” Ms Steffen said. “Full of sympathy for the relatives, also in the hope that nothing has happened to our relatives, friends and acquaintances.”
Emergency services barricade area after driver ploughs into German Christmas market
02:01
Andy Gregory
Eyewitness describes ‘war-like conditions’
01:02
Andy Gregory
In the aftermath of the attack, an anonymous eyewitness told the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung newspaper that the perpetrator drove into the ‘Fairy Tale’ area of the Magdeburg Christmas market, and that there were many families present. She and her child were able to jump to the side of the vehicle.
A restaurateur said that the driver raced directly past his burger stand, describing the conditions as “war-like”.
No specific intelligence indicating a threat to Christmas markets in UK, report says
Saturday 21 December 2024 23:52
Andy Gregory
While at least one Christmas market in the UK has reviewed its safety protocols in light of the attack in Magdeburg, the Press Association reports that there is no specific intelligence indicating a threat to Christmas markets in Britain.
The threat level for the whole of the UK remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely.
Firefighter raced to scene of the attack to help
Saturday 21 December 2024 23:21
Rhian Lubin
A firefighter told how he rushed to the market to help after he heard about the attack.
“It was like something out of a bad movie,” 22-year-old Johannes told German newspaper Bild.
“I ran through the devastated market, people were lying on the left and right. And the only thing that went through my mind was: who am I going to help now? I then grabbed the injured people who didn’t have anyone with them and took them to the appropriate treatment areas.
“With a permanent marker, I wrote the words green, yellow or red on the injured people’s faces, depending on how severe their injuries were.
“The people in Magdeburg are in shock. But at the same time, they have shown that they are there for each other. I was proud when I saw how many helpers came together in such a short space of time.”
Opinion | Whatever the aim, the Germany attack will surely make the West more divided
Saturday 21 December 2024 22:50
Andy Gregory
Historian Mark Almond writes:
Germany’s rapidly growing economic and social dislocation in recent years has tended to make migration – strictly speaking unrelated – the touchstone issue in its coming general election on 23 February.
The facts of the Magdeburg case are likely to be lost. For too many people and politicians, the identity of the suspect as an Arab will be enough.
In any case, the issue, as opposed to the facts, was already being internationalised.
Witness says husband spent hours helping attack victims
Saturday 21 December 2024 22:20
Andy Gregory
Thi Linh Chi Nguyen, a manicurist from Vietnam whose salon is situated close to the Christmas market, was on the phone during a break when she heard loud bangs that she thought were fireworks.
She then saw a car drive through the market at high speed. People screamed and a child was thrown into the air by the car.
Shaking as she described what she had witnessed, the 34-year-old recalled seeing the car bursting out of the market and turning right onto Ernst-Reuter-Allee street and then coming to a standstill at the tram stop where the suspect was arrested.
“My husband and I helped [those injured] for two hours,” she told the Associated Press. “He ran back home and grabbed as many blankets as he could find because they didn’t have enough to cover the injured people. And it was so cold.”
Full report: German city mourns as death toll rises following market attack just days before Christmas
Saturday 21 December 2024 21:51
Andy Gregory
The German city of Magdeburg is in a state of mourning following an attack on a busy Christmas market which killed at least five people and left hundreds more injured.
Tributes piled up on Saturday as state leaders visited the site of the attack where a driver rammed a car into crowds at around 7pm on Friday.
My colleague Athena Stavrou has the full report:
50% rise in reports to anti-terror hotline in UK this year, police say
Saturday 21 December 2024 21:22
PA
Earlier this week, Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Jon Savell said police are “relying on the public” to spot suspected terror activity during the festive period, as this year has seen a 50 per cent rise in suspicious activity reports made to the anti-terror hotline.
The cause of the spike is uncertain but contacts are making a difference to investigations, according to Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP).
There were 52 more arrests for terrorism offences last year than in 2022 – an increase of 31 per cent and the highest number in a single year since 2019.
Christmas shopping, festive markets, pantomimes and concerts could attract terror activity, CTP warned, as it reminded people “everyone has a role to play in keeping each other safe” by spotting and reporting suspicious activity.
CTP previously said it had more than 800 investigations under way, most in partnership with MI5, and that it was working with intelligence services at MI5 and GCHQ to understand and prevent radicalisation.
It has stopped 43 late-stage attacks from taking place alongside MI5, three of which were in the last 12 months.
UK Christmas market has reviewed its security in wake of Magdeburg attack
Saturday 21 December 2024 20:54
Andy Gregory
One of the UK’s biggest Christmas markets said it has reviewed its security processes in the wake of the attack on a German Christmas market which left five people dead and more than 200 injured.
Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market’s security processes were reviewed and discussed with a police security adviser after a BMW ploughed into customers at the busy festive market in Magdeburg on Friday evening.
It said no changes are required and all staff remain vigilant.
Far-right protesters gather in Madgeburg
Saturday 21 December 2024 20:27
Andy Gregory
Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz and interior minister Nancy Faeser travelled to Magdeburg on Saturday, where a memorial service took place. Ms Faeser ordered flags lowered to half-staff at government buildings across the country.
Although many people went to the site with candles to mourn the victims, several hundred far-right protesters gathered in a central square in Magdeburg with a banner that read “remigration”, German news agency dpa reported.
Another protester was photographed holding a sign reading “the blood sticks to your hands”.
Far-right supporters seen at memorial visited by AfD leader
Saturday 21 December 2024 20:02
Andy Gregory
The scene of a memorial for victims of Friday’s attack has become more politically charged, as politicians warned of concerns that the incident could be exploited by the far-right ahead of February’s election.
By the time AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla arrived at a memorial in Magdeburg on Saturday, the crowd was filled with young people who had responded from all round east Germany to calls by the far-right party’s youth wing on social media to attend a vigil, Reuters reported.
Many of the gathered supporters wore symbols associated with neopaganism and other mystical movements associated with the far right. One young man, who said he was from the AfD’s youth wing, wore an amulet depicting the hammer of the Norse god Thor.
AfD, which is particularly strong in eastern Germany, took first and second place in three regional votes this autumn.
Saudi Arabia sent security tips about suspect, German source says
Saturday 21 December 2024 19:38
Andy Gregory
Saudi Arabia had warned German authorities about the suspect after he posted extremist views on his X account that threatened peace and security, a Saudi source told Reuters.
A German security source said Saudi authorities had sent several tips in 2023 and 2024 and that these had been passed on to the relevant security authorities, the news agency reported.
A risk assessment conducted last year by German state and federal criminal investigators came to the conclusion that the man posed “no specific danger”, newspaper Die Welt reported, citing security sources.
Video report | Nine-year-old among five killed in Magdeburg attack
Saturday 21 December 2024 19:12
Andy Gregory
Hospital announces additional day of blood donation appointments
Saturday 21 December 2024 18:48
Andy Gregory
Magdeburg’s university hospital has announced an additional day of blood donation appointments on Monday in conjunction with the German Red Cross.
In an earlier post on Facebook, a representative for the hospital said: “In the midst of this challenging moment, our colleagues demonstrated extraordinary dedication.
“Many of you responded immediately, providing support in the emergency department, the operating rooms, the wards, logistics, psychosocial assistance, or on-site as first responders. Your efforts saved lives and brought hope during a dark hour.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks for your immense willingness to help, your solidarity, and your humanity.”
Vigil held at Magdeburg cathedral
Saturday 21 December 2024 18:24
Andy Gregory
A vigil is taking place at Magdeburg cathedral, with spaces reserved for those particularly affected by Friday’s fatal attack.
Police realised incident was an attack after flood of emergency calls
Saturday 21 December 2024 18:04
Andy Gregory
Police quickly realised that the incident at the market in Magdeburg was an attack rather than an accident after receiving a heavy number of emergency calls, the local police chief has told a press conference.
“The first caller imagined that it was an accident on the basis of what they could see,” said Magdeburg police chief Tom-Oliver Langhans.
“However, we received at least a double digit number of emergency calls and we rapidly realised that this was actually an attack, and not an accident.”
The attack began at 7:02pm and the attacker used the route intended for emergency responders to drive into the area of the market, Mr Langhans said, according to a translation by the BBC.
Many patients at Magdeburg’s university hospital still in intensive care, medic says
Saturday 21 December 2024 17:42
Andy Gregory
Some 80 patients were brought to Magdeburg's university hospital on Friday night, said neurosurgeon Mahmoud Elenbaby.
“We managed to stabilise most of them, but many are still in intensive care, and some are also in critical condition,” Mr Elenbaby told the Associated Press.
Biden says his team in close touch with German officials
Saturday 21 December 2024 17:17
Andy Gregory
US president Joe Biden said his team has been “in close touch” with German officials following the attack at a Christmas market in Magdeburg.
Nine-year-old child among five dead, authorities say
Saturday 21 December 2024 17:14
Andy Gregory
A nine-year-old child is among the five people who have died following the attack in Magdeburg, authorities said on Saturday.
City official Ronni Krug said he did not have further information on the adults who were killed on Friday night.
A further 200 people were injured, of whom 41 were seriously or very seriously hurt, Mr Krug said.
Watch: Olaf Scholz lays flowers near scene of Christmas market attack
Saturday 21 December 2024 16:58
Andy Gregory
Expert expresses surprise at profile emerging of suspect
Saturday 21 December 2024 16:32
Andy Gregory
An expert in German terrorism has expressed surprise at the profile emerging of the suspect in the attack in Magdeburg.
“After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore,” said Peter Neumann, director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence at King’s College London.
“But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists – that really wasn’t on my radar.”
Several German media outlets identified the suspect as a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy who has been who has been living in Germany for nearly two decades and practising medicine there.
Describing himself as a former Muslim, the suspect has shared dozens of tweets and retweets daily focusing on anti-Islam themes, criticising the religion and congratulating Muslims who left the faith.
He also accused German authorities of failing to do enough to combat what he said was the “Islamism of Europe”. Some described him as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. He has also voiced support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Recently, he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum-seekers.
Prosecutors expect to charge suspect with murder and attempted murder
Saturday 21 December 2024 16:09
Andy Gregory
Prosecutors expect to charge the suspect with murder and attempted murder, the head of the local prosecutor's office has said.
The motive for the attack remains unclear but the suspect’s dissatisfaction with Germany’s treatment of Saudi refugees may have played a role, the prosecutor in the central city of Magdeburg told a press conference.
What we know so far about the suspected driver of car
Saturday 21 December 2024 16:03
Athena Stavrou
The suspect is a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who first came to Germany in 2006, authorities confirmed.
He has been named by German media as Taleb A and has reportedly shown support for Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party.
A Saudi source told Reuters that the kingdom had warned German authorities about the attacker, who the source said had posted extremist views on his personal X account.
He was recognised as a refugee in 2016 and is a consultant for psychiatry and psychotherapy in the nearby town of Bernburg.
Interior minister Nancy Faeser told reporters on Saturday: “At this point, we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic — we can confirm that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.”
The vehicle, a black BMW, was pictured smashed up at the scene behind a police cordon. Officials believe the suspect acted alone. Verified bystander footage showed the suspect’s arrest at a tram stop in the middle of the road.
“As things stand, he is a lone perpetrator, so that as far as we know there is no further danger to the city,” Haseloff, said at a news conference.
German public broadcaster MDR previously reported that police suspected there could be explosives in the suspect’s car, but police later confirmed none were found after closer inspection.
Other markets remain open - with heightened security
Saturday 21 December 2024 15:39
Athena Stavrou
Tragedy struck at a Christmas market in eastern Germany on Friday, as at least five people and hundreds were injured after a car ploughed into a crowd.
The market in Magdeburg will remain closed, the city’s mayor confirmed - though others around Germany will remain open.
The Frankfurt Christmas market is still going ahead, though the security procedures have been “slightly adjusted”, German media was told.
The city’s mayor said: “I heard the news from Magdeburg with horror. Our thoughts and our sympathy are with the victims and their families, who have suffered so much as a result of this cruel act. An attack like this hits a city to the core.”
AfD chairman lays flowers amid reports suspect was supporter of far-right party
Saturday 21 December 2024 15:18
Athena Stavrou
The chairman of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has arrived at the scene and laid flowers in tribute to the victims of last night’s attack.
Tino Chrupalla and his colleagues laid flowers amid reports that the suspected attacker was a supporter of the political party.
Local media reported that he had expressed his sympathy for the party on social media, though a spokesman for the party told the Rheinische Post that he was not a member of the party.
Suspect’s alleged workplace issues statement
Saturday 21 December 2024 14:56
Athena Stavrou
The clinic where the suspect is believed to have worked has released a statement following Friday night’s attack.
Posting on Instagram, the Salus-Fachklinikum Bernburg clinic said it was “shocked to learn that the alleged perpetrator worked as a specialist doctor in our enforcement in Bernburg”.
It added that the suspect had been employed there as a psychiatric specialist since March 2020, but he had not been working since October due to illness and holiday.
“We have been supporting the work of the investigative authorities in every possible way since the late hours,” it added.
German Christmas market attack: Everything we know as car attack kills five and injures hundreds
Saturday 21 December 2024 14:31
Andy Gregory
A driver rammed a car into a crowd of shoppers at a busy German Christmas market on Friday evening, killing at least five people and injuring 200.
An extensive police operation is underway following the attack at the market in the German city of Magdeburg that happened at around 7pm local time on Friday.
Authorities confirmed that a child is among the dead, while local media reported on Saturday that 41 people are very seriously injured.
A 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia was arrested on Friday following the attack:
Here’s everything we know about the attack so far:
Pictured: Street where suspect is believed to have lived near Bernburg
Saturday 21 December 2024 14:13
Athena Stavrou
Watch: Police officers swarm to arrest suspect
Saturday 21 December 2024 13:48
Athena Stavrou
Eyewitness footage from a nearby building shows police swarming an individual and arresting them, after a car was driven into a busy Christmas market in eastern Germany.
At least four have died, including a child, following the attack around 7pm on Friday.
Local reports now put the number of injured to at least 200.
Police have arrested a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, identified by German media as Taleb A.
World leaders have condemned the attack, with prime minister Keir Starmer saying he was “horrified” by the incident.
Watch the video here:
Town comes together to pay tribute to victims
Saturday 21 December 2024 13:31
Athena Stavrou
As a clearer picture of what happened at Magdeburg’s Christmas market on Friday emerges, members of the community are gathering at the scene to pay their respects.
Locals and politicians have been laying flowers, lighting candles and leaving teddy bears at the nearby church as they mourn the five people who have been killed so far.
Memorial service to be held tonight
Saturday 21 December 2024 13:08
Athena Stavrou
A memorial service will be held in Magdeburg on Saturday night to commemorate the victims of Friday night’s attack in the town.
Magdeburg city mayor Simone Borris said: “I am shocked, deeply affected and my heart goes out to the victims and their families.”
She announced a memorial would be held at 7pm loacal time and added: “I could never have imagined that Magdeburg would be affected by such an act.”
Whatever the aim, the German Christmas market attack will surely make the West more divided
11:39
Athena Stavrou
The confounding picture of Taleb A. makes his aims while behind the wheel on Friday night all the more muddy. But for too many people and politicians, the identity of the perpetrator as an Arab will be enough, Mark Almond writes:
Suspect had not worked since October
11:27
Athena Stavrou
The clinic where the suspect is believed to have worked released a statement following Friday night’s attack.
Posting on Instagram, the Salus-Fachklinikum Bernburg clinic said it was “shocked to learn that the alleged perpetrator worked as a specialist doctor in our enforcement in Bernburg”.
It added that the suspect had been employed there as a psychiatric specialist since March 2020, but he had not been working since October due to illness and holiday.
“We have been supporting the work of the investigative authorities in every possible way since the late hours,” it added.