European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 17, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday August 17, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 9 Over Here Pir Masens whistle Blower persecuted by Community officials in report says by Daryle.  Bureau Pir Masens West Germany management officials or the Pir Masens military Community waged a Campaign or retaliation against a civilian contractor who raised allegations of timecard and contractor fraud in the Community a report by the department of defense inspector general says. The report concluded by a preponderance of evidence that management engaged in reprisal actions against. Martin Everett who worked As a learning Center Monitor at the Community s education Center from june 1984 until he was barred from the military Community in july 1987.it said the actions included giving Everett an unfair evaluation orchestrating the bidding process to prevent the renewal of his contract for the Monitor Job making ices than accurate responses to a congressional inquiry and bar ring him from the Community. In the edited version of the report Everett received an shared with the stars and stripes the inspector general s office blacked put the names of the people responsible forthe reprisal actions. The names were blacked out to protect people s privacy according to a cover letter accompanying Herport i believe there were Many players but i Don t know who was pulling the strings Everett said. Recommended actions to be taken against the individuals also were omitted from the heavily edited report it is unknown what Steps if any have been take against the individuals involved because none of them is Here anymore said Warren Field a Community spokes Man we have no knowledge of anyone being pros  from the Pir Masens Community would not comment on the report s contents. We accept the report a face value Field said. The investigation began in december 1987, after the Agency received a lip on the fraud waste and abuse hot line said a source in the Agency s Wiesbaden Field  Field office sent its report to Washington on oct. 21, 1988, the source  dec 16, Everett filed a request under the Freedom of information act for the report which is normally sent tothe Community involved. He received it july 31. Everett said in Light of the report he is owed about 18months in Back wages and he plans to take action. That s the period Between the time they barred me from the Community in july 87" until the ban was lifted on dec 16,1988, Everett said Everett was making $8.82 an hour for an estimated salary of about $ 18,000  re dam right somebody owes me some lost wages. But i Don t have the Money to sue said Everett who has been working As a Secretary with the information systems engr come Europe at  a for the past  of turning to lawyers who ask for costly fees Everett plans to Contact agencies he feels will help him in his fight for Back pay. I plan on pushing the Issue he said. I plan on Contact ing senator Edward Kennedy s office again As Well As going Back to the american civil liberties onion one More time based on what i now have in my  Everett s troubles began after he first raised allegations i March 1986. I originally wrote a letter to the Safe contracting Region officer concerning timecard fraud and non compliance of work by the contractors in the learning Center Everett said. Everett s allegations included charges against his super visors who were not spending eight hours a Day on the Job As required by their contracts or performing the duties outlined in their Job descriptions. They were supposed to be doing the same thing i was doing Everett said. As a learning Center Monitor Everett was responsible for maintaining a Library of army regulations and directives that soldiers use to prepare for such things As skill qualification testing and promotion boards. This includes Complete physical inventories of All the thousands upon thousands of regulations we have in there Everett said. Making any and every necessary change  amendments and so Forth. They weren t doing any Oftis the allegations resulted in investigations by the Parma Sens criminal investigation come and the 21st support omd now the 21st theater army area come. The criminal investigation come s inquiry not Only found evidence that supported Everett s claim but also determined that sufficient evidence for successful prosecution was developed the criminal investigation come s report  same investigation concluded that a senior Cauca ass a Emmett Low or. Martin Everett sits by a Welcome sign an irony in View of the fact he � As barred from the base at Pir Masens. Tion services officer had taken six to eight hours per week off from his place of duty since 1981 for the purpose of working out at the Post gymnasium the report said. These hours were above and beyond a Normal one hour lunch and were not annotated on his. Attendance re cords As annual leave it said. As his hourly rate of pay was estimated at $19.20 per hour this indicated an Esti mated loss to the . Government of $28,000 Over the past five  receiving the report in november 1986, the Community decided not to press charges against several individuals involved. Everett was not satisfied with the Lack of action an wrote to Kennedy his senator. The Massachusetts Democrat initiated a congressional inquiry that resulted in a message being sent Back to his office from the 21st support  message slated that two formal and two informal investigations had been conducted into Everett s allegations and that there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges in Federal court."1 received a copy of the message from Kennedy s office but i Felt that the senator was just going through a paper Drill Everett said. I Felt there was a cover up and i did t feel the issues had been  inspector general s report concluded that the response to Kennedy was less than accurate. The report also said Everett s complaints to Kennedy had upset Pir Masens  name delete Safe contracting Region testified that name deleted had called him complaining about or Everett s whistle blowing to senator Kennedy and asked what they could do to get rid of him the report said. One approach the officials took was to prevent Everett from winning a new contract for the Job of teaming Center Monitor the report said. According to army regulation the Job of learning Center Monitor was a contract position and had to be bid on for renewal. For the first two ears i was there my contract came up for renewal every year Everett said. But after the Inci Dent in March 1986when i blew the whistle it started coming up every six  in july 1987, Usa eur did away with the non person Al services contract under which Everett was hired As Monitor and the position remained vacant until january 1988. The contract is now awarded to the colleges an universities that Are now responsible for the hiring the inspector general s report said Everett uncovered evidence of the plot to get rid of him on april 30, 1987. While waiting to make a did for the renewal of his contract which expired june 30.1987, Everett obtained a Purchase request and commitment form referring to his  form had been submitted to contracting officials with the name of a requested contractor on it. The contractor whose name appeared on the form said i received a phone Call from someone in the education Center telling me to change my bid from $7.50 to $7" a hour. The contractor who spoke to the stars and stripes on the condition that he remain Anonymous did not accept  was proof to me that they were going to give my Job to someone else without even giving me a Chance to Bidon it Everett said. On May 8, 1987. Everett filed a complaint with the Safe contracting Region office in Kaiserslautern about the bidding process and showed a copy of the request form As proof to one of the contracting officials. Everett refuse to say How he got the form. Instead of looking into my charges they told me i was wrong for having the form and started an investigation of me and How i got the form Everett said. According to the inspector general s report a  investigation come inquiry completed on june 5, 1987, concluded that Everett had a close personal Friend in the Pir Masens distribution Center where the form had passed through on the Way to the Safe contracting re Gion office. The criminal investigation come concluded that or. Everett had committed the offences of larceny of government property. And disclosure of confidential  a result of that criminal investigation come probe Everett was issued a letter signed by the then Deputy Community commander it. Col. Wwlborn j. Williams barring him from the Pir Masens military Community. The letter was dated june 26,1987, and took effect july 1. Yes i do remember issuing him the letter said Wil Liams who has since retired Tram the army. Williams would not comment further on the matter. The inspector general s report noted that Everett s show ing the Purchase request form to a contracting official while lodging a complaint did not indicate criminal intent. Further. The evidence did not indicate  stole the document in lieu of being Given the document by a Friend or acquaintance it  seriously question that his showing of the form to a contracting official while making allegations of impropriety would be considered a disclosure of confidential info  criminal investigation come inquiry also failed to consider the merits of Everett s charges that the bidding process had been compromised according to the inspector general s  this round of investigations behind him. Everett is looking ahead to winning some compensation for his suf Fering. For almost three years my life As Well As my family s life was  he said and i feel that somebody owes me something loss of wages if nothing else.",