March 14, 2007	Wednesday	Safar 24, 1428

ANKARA: German Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung on Tuesday refused to confirm or deny press reports that a former Iranian deputy defence minister who went missing in Turkey last month was currently being questioned in Germany.

“I cannot say anything on this issue,” Jung told reporters in Ankara during his one-day visit to Turkey, when asked about the alleged whereabouts of Ali Reza Asghari.

The Sunday Times of London reported at the weekend that Asghari had been spying on Iran for Western intelligence since 2003 and was currently undergoing a debriefing at a Nato base in Germany after his escape.

Asghari, who once commanded the Revolutionary Guards, was recruited by a foreign intelligence officer during an overseas business trip about four years ago, the newspaper said.

Ashgari went missing in Turkey's biggest city Istanbul last month shortly after checking into a luxury hotel on a private visit, according to press reports.—AFP