European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 29, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday october 29, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 5 defense contractors overpaid auditors estimate loss at $ i a Ion per year by Norman Black a military writer Washington the defense department is overpaying is contractors millions of dollars a year perhaps up to is billion simply because its procure ment agents Aren t monitoring quarterly financial Salem cats an internal audit has found. While most overpayment arc eventually recovered the government is losing interest payments on the Money from contractors and placing an additional financial Burden on itself through premature payments the Pentagon auditors concluded. To make matters worse the shortcomings were identified live years ago in an audit that elicited promises of improvement from the armed services said the defense department inspector general s office report. This audit identifies internal control weaknesses for monitoring statements at defense con tract administration activities it said. During Calendar years 1986 and 1987, administrative contracting officers did not identify and colled overpayment n a timely manner and did not assess and collect any accrued interest on these overpay  at the very least the Pentagon overpaid contractors by s64 million in 19s6 and 1987 and then failed to recover the Money on a timely basis plus $1.3 million in interest the auditors found. If those results from scrutinizing 41 contracts arc applied statistically to at similar contracts they said the Pentagon might have distributed close to i billion in overpayment in 1986 and 1987. During Calendar years 1986 and 1987, we projected Hal Dod administrative contracting officers did not collect $940 million of government overpay ments in a timely manner and did not collect accrued interest of $18.6 million on these untimely collected overpayment the audit report said. The audit was completed last March and released by the Pentagon this week. The army Navy and air Force departments accepted the findings and gave written promises of improvement. The study was launched As a follow up to a 1982 audit that first detected the problem. The armed serv ices had promised then to Lake approx rial action to address the  the latest investigation however found Little has apparently changed Over the intervening five years. At Issue is the handling of fixed Price incentive fee contracts and the so called quarterly limitation on payments statement required by such contracts. Under a fixed Price incentive contract a weapons builder negotiates with the defense department a tar get Cost target profit and target Price before he begins work. Once deliveries begin the contractor must sub Mit a statement every three months disclosing his Actu Al Cost and profit margins and his Billings to the Penta  the statement shows that payments have exceeded the target Cost and profit totals the contractor must refund the overpayment. If the refund in t made with in 30 Days the contractor owes interest on the Over payment. Flynt s Check to hit Man was a joke lawyer says los Angeles a a $1 million Check Hustler publisher Larry Flynn gave a Soldier of Fortune was a joke and a Story that it was payment for killing prank Sinatra and three publishers was concocted later Flynt s lawyer said thursday. Bizarre behaviour by Flynt was at its height when he allegedly wrote the Check on nov. 14, i98j, to Mitchel l. War bal for the slaying of Sinatra Playboy pub Lisher Hugh m. Hefner. Penthouse pub Lisher Robert Guccione and Walter an non Borg former to guide publisher and . Ambassador. The allegations Are totally unfounded said Flynt s attorney Alan Isaacman. Back in november 1983, Larry Flynn had a dinner party and gave out As a joke million Dollar checks to about half a dozen  War Bill head of a Georgia private Security Center called somics inc., of which Tynt was a client was among those Given a Check at the party said Isaac Man and there was t any talk of kill ing anyone. Thai was someone else s  Fie said none of the guests tried to Cash their checks including War Bill. He said it was found by a Rbell s sons after his death of a heart attack in december 1983, and they tried to Cash it in february 1984. To had been cancelled by then. The sons sued Flynt in a Georgia court to get the Money and Isaacman said the Case was thrown out. The Check was pre served As part of the court record he said War cull s son Mitchell l. Werbil in told the Atlanta Constitution. They be never called us to Sec if we knew any thing about allegations that arc Complete  he said he believed the Check was for expenses and services. Pm Reca no 740,000 cars trucks Only vehicles equipped with 3.8-Liler v-6 engines plus 5.0 and 5.7-Lilcr v-8 engines arc affected. Molt said. Models affected by the recall include the Chevrolet Caprice Caprice classic Impala Camaro and Monte Carlo As Well As the i Pontiac firebird Bonneville grand prix and Parisienne. The Chevrolet Al Camino and Csc Caballero mod Els similar to pickup trucks also arc part of the recall. Dealers and owners of the 1984-Modcl vehicles arc being notified about the re pairs Moil said. Detroit Dpi general motors corp. Said it will recall about 740,000 cars and Light trucks from the 198j Model year to replace an emissions control. Pm will replace the thierm Static vacuum switch with an improved version at no Cost to owners because the old one May cause the vehicles to exceed Allowa ble emission Levels company spokeswoman Jane Molt said. The problem has no effect on vehicle performance or drivability she said. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Oct. 29, 1948 More than 30,000 workers protesting the High prices in the . Sector of Germany rioted in the streets of Stuttgart for several hours before being dispersed by american and German police. 30 years ago today. Oct. 29, 1958  was chosen new Leader of the roman Catholic Church lie announced lie would reign As Pope John. 20 years ago today oct. 29,1968 for the first time since the soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August several thousand students demonstrated in Prague. To years ago today. Oct. 39, 1978 speaking at a political rally in Lynn mass., president Carter announced he had persuade egyptian president Anwar Sadat to stick with the Middle East peace talks despite differences Between egyptian and israeli negotiators. Orbiting data base future astronauts will Sec More than stars before their eyes if they Wear n Hel met being developed at the Johnson space Center in Houston the Helmut. Modelled by student Critchen Smith Fai lures a transparent television Quality computer Monitor an the visor that can display a wide Range of information. Auctioneer claims he found letter written by Washington Lakeland Fla. A an auctioneer examining a collection of papers in preparation for an estate Sale found the absolute dream of every autograph collector a letter written by George Washington. The one Page Tetter dated dec. 10, 1796, was addressed to a Richard Peters and concerned a suggestion Peters had made about agricultural policy. I Haven t slept a lot since saturday night Phil incr said about his discovery made when he examined documents in the Euate of an ailing Lakeland Resi Dent whose Hobby was collecting historical documents. The family of the collector whom incr refused to identify had asked incr to inventory items for an estate Sale. Some documents written by washing ton have recently brought As much As $19,000, Riner said wednesday. They vary in value depending on their importance and when they were written. Washington s autograph has brought $3,000, he said. The Brief letter to Peters referred to documents Washington was enclosing with a suggestion that they might be 01 interest to congressional committees. Peters address was not listed and Riner did not disclose the text of the letter