European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 25, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes May 1985 fingering fraud Ith Ihk you gentlemen Are ail acquainted against Uncle Sam Byj Efferth new York times a congressional investigating commit after extensive hearings and inspection of thousands of found evidence of fraud in military including shoddy sweetheart noncompetitive contracts and the investigation led to legislation to improve govern ment procurement procedures the false claims act of this civil War strongly backed by presi Dent contained an unusual Section that allows a private who has knowledge of fraud against the government to sue individuals or corporations on behalf of the attorney at the the Federal government had few investigative especially no Federal Bureau of invest and the defense known then As the War had no the false claims act provides for double whether the government or a private citizen pursues a the government gets most of the Money in the to induce citizens to become Law was written to provide for a Bounty under which the person bringing the suit can receive up to 25 percent of any monies recovered or up to 10 percent if the Justice department comes in after the suit is filed and pursues the Case despite such few citizens have used the Law Over the with so much attention being focused on fraud against the especially in the area of military the 122yearold act is getting new and a number of efforts Are being made to Amend and strengthen legislation has been introduced that would make it easier under the act for citizens to file our legislation is a tool for helping citizens file but More than that its to prevent the defense department from not doing anything about the problem of waste and said Berkley who is sponsoring the proposed amendment along with Andy the Justice although showing Little in Terest in the citizen Section of the is preparing legislation that would expand the act so that contractor fraud could be More easily the Center for Law in the Public a nonprofit group of los Angele based is also seeking to Amend the working with the office of Charles the Center has proposed several amendments among other would allow a person bringing a suit to stay involved after the government enters the would narrow the part of the Law that allows a Case to be dismissed if the government already possesses the information brought Forward by the plaintiff and would provide better guarantees of monetary awards for those who the false claims said John an attorney with the benefits everyone the government because it recovers twice the amount of dam Ages sustained because of the false the person bringing the suit because he can receive a substantial monetary award for doing his patriotic duty of exposing fraud against the and taxpayers because they see that their dollars Are not being wasted or mis last As a result of discussions by Center actor a Cincinnati lawyer Learned about the this led to a private false claims action in prompted a major Fri criminal investigation against one of the nations largest military the suit was filed last october in Federal District court in Cincinnati by John a former fore Man at the general electric Plant in his suit accused the company of switching labor vouchers from commercial work to military and space As a result of the Fri gravitas Case has been suspended until according to gravitas James Helmer the suit has prompted More than a dozen other be employees to pass on information about reputed mis charging at the acrimony Over the Beretta new York times slowly but the Beretta 9mm pistol is making its Way into the holsters of the armed the capture of a million con tract for handguns was just one of Many hurdles Italy Beretta faced in its quest to replace the Colt As the handgun of the Beretta has also had to overcome jealous government resistance and diehard loyalty to the a military favorite since its introduction in the ascent of the Beretta is Only the latest step in a continuing Effort to make american weapons compatible with those of other North Atlantic treaty organization according to Craig an army it is also a sensitive Issue International and Ive gotten some hate letters like my grand daddy used to carry a he but no one has tried to suggest the Beretta int a Good or that we didst get a Good Beretta is charging about for each the weapons retail for about in order to comply with requirements that at least on third of the pistols Bear the stamp made in the the american Arm of the centuries old Beretta of Italy is planning a si5 million expansion of its factory at Accokeek in but several different interest groups including the italian gun manufacturers competitors and Colt aficionados Are still hoping to Stop the switch to the the Battle began when the acting As agent for All the armed accepted Beret tas it is the first step in a 10year plan to replace the Colt with handguns that can share ammunition with those used by other nato the program to adopt weapons that can share ammunition began in since several contracts have been awarded to foreign and a Battle Fol Lowed each said James Clay a pro Fessor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro who worked with the Pentagon on the program from 1979 to there is a tremendous pressure in the he the View seems to if we didst invent it int any the Rural Accokeek some 20 Miles Southeast of does not look like an object of Controvert the Small crowded with machinery and heavily scented with Are near a Field where cows Graze and directly across the Road from a weather beaten red barn that stands taller than the the planned expansion will More than triple the cur rent work Force from 120 to about 400 Only about 100 according to a Road than the entire population of with the costs of the Beretta stands to make Only a very Small said Leo company he the army endorsement will be Worth a great it is expected to spark interest among foreign military groups and Domestic Law enforcement a lawyer for Saco a division of the Maremont of a subsidiary of Switzerland Sig Sauer and a Beretta said initial outside sales can be As much As the army also plans a second five year open to competitive to finish the switch to a nato compatible this is not the first time that Beretta made a move to bolster its two years Beretta gave 9mm pistols to the Connecticut state police in Exchange for that Agency old weapons and Public said Alfredo Beretta contract the importance of reputation in the business is precisely the reason Why there is so much acrimony Over the Beretta three different companies Saco defense German and Smith a unit of the Bangor Punta which is owned by Lear Zielger have protested the contract to the general accounting office in but in there was also speculation that the contract was not awarded to Beretta on Merit but As an Effort to Curry favor with the italian government after Italy agreed to deploy american cruise who was involved in the said that was not the