Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

August 20, 2008 4:04:22 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

German Tax Case Reads Like Spy Thriller

Posted Feb 26, 08 5:34 PM CST in World,  Business 

(Newser) – Code names, kidnappings, secrets sold to international intelligence agencies: these staples of a thriller movie come from the real life of Heinrich Kieber, the whistleblower who for $7.4 million sold German authorities the information that exposed a huge tax-evasion ring. Kieber has been given a new identity and is living in hiding, but an exposé by Der Spiegel has uncovered past convictions, international adventures, and one very worried mother.

On the run from Spanish police over a bogus real estate deal, he fled to Argentina, where he was kidnapped for 10 days. Eventually he got a job at a bank in Liechtenstein digitizing papers that detailed an international tax scam. Kieber stole the data and sold it to the Germans after the British dragged their feet; American authorities are reported to have bought information, too. Now Kieber has a new name—and little contact with his Spanish mother, Maria, who's merely hoping for a phone call.

Source Der Spiegel

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Samsung Chairman Resigns

    Apr 22, 08 7:00 AM CDT
    Samsung Chairman Resigns The chairman of Samsung, Korea's leading exporter, has resigned after being indicted on multiple counts of tax fraud and breach of duty. Lee Kun-hee, whose resignation speech was carried live on all of South Korea's TV networks, has controlled the Samsung consortium since 1987. Lee, his wife, his son, and nearly a dozen other execs have been implicated in the scandal. More »

  • Samsung Head Indicted for Tax Fraud

    Apr 17, 08 6:43 AM CDT
    Samsung Head Indicted for Tax Fraud The chairman of electronic giant Samsung will stand trial for tax evasion and breach of duty after special prosecutors alleged corruption in South Korea's largest industrial corporation. Lee Kun-hee was indicted in Seoul today for evading $114 million in taxes and for incurring losses at Samsung while installing his son in leadership positions, Bloomberg reports. Nine other execs at Samsung were also charged with crimes. More »

  • Strike Cripples German Airports

    Mar 5, 08 7:23 AM CST
    Strike Cripples German Airports Thousands of German airport workers have walked off the job on the first day of a strike, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations across Europe's largest country. Frankfurt International Airport, a key European hub, was picketed by more than 2,000 employees from baggage handlers to check-in counter workers and even firefighters, reports AP. In a coordinated action, Berlin's subway, tram, and bus workers began their own 10-day strike. More »

  • Homes Raided Nationwide in German Tax Fraud Probe

    Feb 19, 08 8:23 AM CST
    Homes Raided Nationwide in German Tax Fraud Probe The fallout from Germany's enormous tax evasion scandal continued yesterday as police began a nationwide raid of the homes and offices of over a hundred people. More than 1,000 rich Germans are suspected of cheating the German treasury out of $5 billion by transferring huge sums to banks and dummy foundations in the tax haven of Liechtenstein. So far the biggest casualty of the affair has been the CEO of Deutsche Post, Europe's largest mail service and the owner of shipping company DHL. More »

  • Inside the Siemens Bribery Scandal

    Dec 28, 07 8:40 AM CST
    Inside the Siemens Bribery Scandal In one of the world's largest corporate bribery scandals in recent years, German industrial giant Siemens allegedly channeled millions of euros in bribes to customers in Nigeria, Russia, Libya, and other countries to win infrastructure contracts. The Wall Street Journal traces the unearthing of the Siemens case across four years of investigations in Switzerland,  Liechtenstein, and Germany. More »

Deutsche Post CEO Klaus Zumwinkel, left, and attorney Margrit Lichtinghagen leave Zumwinkel's home in Cologne, western Germany, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008.The chief prosecutor in Munich Christian Schmidt-Sommerfeld...   (Associated Press)
Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein speaks during a press conference in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008. German Chancellor Angela Merkel made clear Monday that she will press Liechtenstein...   (Associated Press)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel holds a news conference in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008, focusing on German and foreign policy. (AP Photo/Franka Bruns)   (Associated Press)
The whistleblower who unveiled a massive tax fraud ring has a shadowy past, Der Spiegel reports.   ((c) tunguska)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

Germany  • corruption  • tax fraud  • whistleblowers  • Liechtenstein


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Business Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »