European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 24,1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 germans investigate car salesmen tax officials focus on commissions by Randy Mcclain financial writer West German tax authorities Are investigating possible tax evasion by salesmen of the overseas military Sale group the new York based car dealer responsible for the majority of new car sales to service members in Europe and the far East. Company officials said the investigation does not involve allegations that the firm itself or its top management May have violated German Law. A spokesman with the Federal tax investigations office in Frankfurt declined to comment on what the scope of the investigation was or when it might be concluded. The spokesman said his of fice does not comment on cases in Prog Ress. However others familiar with the in Quiry including company personnel briefed on the matter this week at a internal training session said As Many As 25 tax investigators came to the Over seas military sales group s european Headquarters in suburban Frankfurt at10 . Feb. 13. The investigators left with about 60 Cartons of sales record Sand computer printouts listing More than 300 salesmen s names and their work addresses. The tax investigators were accompanied by a computer expert who made sure there were no unauthorized deletions made by company personnel As the computer printouts were being made one overseas military sales group employee said. The same employee who has worked in sales for the company since 1982, said the firm or its sales people have been audited before but he said this is the largest investigation he can recall. Overseas military sales group oper ates under several names throughout the world. It has operated in West German for 37 years and in the far East for More than 20 years. The group s Parent com Pany is the overseas automotive sales corp. Of Woodbury . It reported worldwide sales last year of 25,000 cars valued at $325 million according to company documents. The company represents Chrysler pm and other major . Car manufacturers that have permission to sell nonmilitary installations As part of the  and air Force Exchange service. Safe officials referred All questions to the firm. Off base the company Sells Nissan Honda Audi Peugeot Volkswagen and other foreign made automobiles. Off base sales in West Germany generally Are handled through a company called the Auto Exchange. It has 52 sales outlets. Gerald Schilling european director for overseas military sales said German officials spent two hours at the company s Headquarters. He said they took re cords detailing commissions paid Tooms salesmen across Germany. The records Are primarily from the1986 and 1987 tax years Schilling said but he did not Rule out the possibility that information from other tax years might also come under review. Schilling said he is not sure How Many salesmen s commissions Are being Stu died. All we have right now Are accusations but no one has been formally accused he said. Company attorney Joan Albright said the company s management in new York is taking the investigation in  examinations have taken place in the past and they probably will happen again Albright said. She termed this one routine. The inquiry has not affected the com Pany s ability to sell cars in West Ger Many. In Frankfurt it was business As usual thursday at the Auto Exchange near the Frankfurt shopping Center. It s not a big Deal. There s no panic. We do business in a Way that we feel is proper and Correct said one Salesman who spoke on the condition that he not be identified. No one s skipping  another Salesman said he believes the majority of the company s sales person Nel Are in Good standing with German tax officials but he does t Rule out that some tax evaders could be caught and that a few salesmen might not be registered with the tax office. The Plain truth is that there Are som people who Don t pay their taxes in any business the Salesman said. But Mostof our sales people Are  both Frankfurt employees said the would be surprised if the investigation s focus goes above the level of the individual Salesman. The company tells you to pay your taxes and if a sales agent does t do that it s his own fault one of the employees said. Overseas military sales group is co operating with the German tax inquiry Schilling said. We be been Here for 30 years. Our record Speaks for itself headed. Overseas military sales group expects to hear from the tax authorities soon if any wrongdoing is substantiated Schil Ling said. Air plane carrying official 10 others plunges into Lake Vienna Austria a a plan carrying 11 people including a govern ment minister crashed into a Lake thursday near the Swiss Border and All aboard were feared dead officials said. The plane from Austria s Reinthal Alfred Dallinger. Feared dead Flug airline was preparing to land at Altenhein just Over the Border when it went Down in Lake Constance said air line spokeswoman Renatte Moser. A spokesman for the Federal Burea for civil aviation said he feared there were to survivors. Moser said the nine passengers included Austria s social affairs minister Alfred Dallinger 62.there were two Crew members. A previously unknown group calling itself the austrian people s  claimed responsibility for the crash in Telephone Call to the West German news Agency spa. The Austria press Agency said police were investigating the Call. The caller did not say Why the group would want touring Down the plane. Rescue boats were on their Way to the site of the crash. The aviation official said a wheel and other wreckage had already Bee found in Switzerland. Police and witnesses said fog hindered the search. Swiss police said the plane went Down just inside Swiss territory but the aviation official said the plane crashed into a part of the Lake that is considered inter National territory. Austrian radio reported that the plane which left Vienna s Schwec hat Airport at Brigitte Seewald was flying the plane that crashed into Lake Constance. 9 36 ., was scheduled to land at to Hen Ems in Austria s westernmost prov Ince of Vor Arlberg. The plane was not Able to land there because of thick fog the radio reported. It and the Austria press Agency said the crash occurred at 11 . A control Tower official from the Altenhein Airport told austrian radio that the plane had passed Over the Airport in preparation for Landing and then looped Back out Over the Lake to Fly in to the designated runway. The official said the Crew gave no Indi cation that it had any problems inboard. W. Germans plan to step up visa requirements Bonn West Germany a the West German government plans to Intro Duce a visa requirement for citizens of Yugoslavia and 15 other countries including South Africa officials said wednesday. The visa requirements for yugoslavs Raveling to West Germany is aimed at stemming a sudden influx of Asylum seekers from that country officials said. By requiring visas for nationals of the countries West Germany will bring it policy into line with the rest of the 12 nation european economic Community. In addition to Yugoslavia the 15other countries named by Interior ministry spokesman Roland Bachmeier were South Africa Namibia Barbados Burma dominican Republic Gabon in Donesia Cameroon Congo Philippines Rwanda Thailand Trinidad and Toba go Uganda and the Central african re Public. At the same time turkish citizens Raveling to one of the dec countries Canada or the United states will not bellowed to transit through West Ger Many without a visa Bachmeier said. Interior minister Friedrich Zimmer Mann will present the draft Law to the Cabinet on March 1, the spokesman said. It could become Law in May at the earliest he said. Bachmeier said 20,000 yugoslavs re Quested political Asylum in West Ger Many last year. Only 19 of them were recognized apolitical refugees and granted Asylum he said. In january this year 2,900 yugoslav requested Asylum along with 7,423 turks who used their transit Stop incest Germany to apply for Asylum. More than 103,000 foreigners most of them from developing countries re Quested Asylum in West Germany Las year. West German authorities said most of the Asylum applicants Are seeking jobs in West Germany and do not qualify for political Asylum. Current Laws make it difficult however to expel those denied Asylum and processing an Asylum request can take three years or More. The Large number of Asylum seeker became a top political Issue after a far right party the republicans scored significant gains in West Berlin elections i january. The republicans Are calling for a dras tic reduction of foreign workers in West Germany. Bachmeier said a yugoslav Interior ministry delegation visited Bonn on tuesday and proposed its own Steps to reduce the number of Asylum seekers travelling to West Germany. He decline to give details. Zimmermann speaking during a parliamentary debate to explain his move said there was a possibility the yugoslavs May solve the problem themselves. Heave no details. There Are about 1 million yugoslav working in West Germany who receive thousands of visit every year from family and relatives