-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- from: http://www.aci.net/kalliste/ Click Here: <A HREF="http://www.aci.net/kalliste/">The Home Page of J. Orlin Grabbe</A> ----- Politics as Usual The German Bribery Scandal Eats France We like foreign money; even if it's not Chinese. GERMANY's party funding scandal threatened to envelop France last night after it was alleged that the government of former President Francois Mitterrand paid £10 million in bribes to Helmut Kohl's Christian Democrat Union party (CDU). The claims of a strong "French connection" to Germany's worst post-war political crisis focused on a murky episode in 1992 when the then state-owned French oil company, Elf-Aquitaine, purchased the Leuna refinery in eastern Germany, along with 1,000 petrol stations. Citing sources close to the former President, a joint German-French television programme alleged that the money was part of almost £30 million of bribes to secure purchase of the refinery. The report by ARD television and French Television 2 said there was no evidence that Mr Kohl knew of the payments to the CDU but it alleged that the French and German secret services met regularly with middlemen in a hotel in Geneva to pass on the money. Mr Kohl, already under intense pressure to reveal the names of secret donors who gave him £600,000 for the CDU coffers in breach of funding rules when he was Chancellor, issued a robust denial of the allegations. The CDU's political opponents suspect all the secret donations were made by people trying to "buy" political favours from the Kohl government and that the money was used by the party to fund election campaigns which kept Mr Kohl in power for 16 years. Last week Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats (SPD) called for last year's state election in the Hesse region, in which it was defeated by the CDU, to be re-run because they say "dirty money" was used. The CDU in Hesse has admitted running illegal overseas accounts and breaching funding rules. Mr Kohl's response to the Elf-Aquitaine claims will not be the end of investigations into the company. German Social Democrats and Greens have announced they are planning a delegation to Paris to inquire into commissions paid by Elf to figures in Germany's establishment before the sale was agreed. Justicial inquiries are already underway in Paris and Switzerland into claims that suspect commissions were paid by Elf. The German government is also investigating the deal after discovering that dozens of files relating to the sale had vanished from the Chancellery from where Mr Kohl governed Germany between 1982 and 1998. At the time of the £2 billion sale, the deal was hailed as the most important example of Franco-German industrial co-operation since the Second World War. It was not long, however, before Elf was under judicial investigation, particularly in relation to shady offshore activities in Africa. Today CDU leaders are expected to present a new report into party finances. It is expected to lead to further demands by CDU members that Mr Kohl be sued and expelled from the party. The London Telegraph, January 24, 2000 ----- Aloha, He'Ping, Om, Shalom, Salaam. Em Hotep, Peace Be, All My Relations. Omnia Bona Bonis, Adieu, Adios, Aloha. Amen. Roads End <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
