German Leader parachutes to his death

[KawiZX900 0]

Just on CNN... Russian leader accused of anti sematism, and money laundering scandals parachute cut away at 3000' his fellow jumpers landed safely, suicide has not been ruled out

Accelerate hard to get them looking, then slam on the fronts and rollright beside the car, hanging the back wheel at eye level for a few seconds. Guaranteed reaction- Dave Sonsky

[SpeedRacer 1]

weird. the same thing happened with a German politician....

..OK these things happen in 3's...so we got a German and a Russian now. Who's next?

Speed Racer
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[Muenkel 0]

A Frenchman?

Chris

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Chris

[indyz 1]

There is a thread about this in Incidents (I'm assuming it's the same guy and somebody just got mixed up about the country).

[miked10270 0]

Couldn't find anything on CNN, but Reuters:

Disgraced German Politician Dies in Parachute Jump
Thu June 5, 2003 02:20 PM ET
By David Crossland
BERLIN (Reuters) - One of Germany's most controversial politicians, former deputy chancellor Juergen Moellemann, fell to his death Thursday in a parachute jump that police are investigating as a possible suicide.

His death came within hours of a search of his home in Muenster, western Germany, by prosecutors probing allegations he violated party funding rules. Also Thursday, the German parliament lifted his immunity from prosecution.

Moellemann's populist stunts -- he often parachuted into campaign events -- had helped propel him to the top of the liberal Free Democrat party, but he quit in March in disgrace over charges of anti-Semitism and irregular party funding.

Eyewitnesses at the jump near the western town of Marl said Moellemann, who had been a paratrooper in the German army, probably killed himself. "It was clear suicide," said an experienced parachutist who saw the fatal jump.

Moellemann's main parachute opened normally after he jumped out of the plane with nine fellow skydivers at 13,000 feet. But he then fell away from the chute at under 3,200 feet and the reserve parachute did not open, she said.

"Mr. Moellemann went into freefall and apparently did not manage to open the reserve parachute," said state prosecutor Wolfgang Reinicke, who is investigating the death.

No suicide note had been found and police were trying to determine if the death was an accident, suicide or whether someone had tampered with the parachute, he said.

A former advertising executive and a vigorous self- promoter, Moellemann completed about 80 jumps in the run-up to last September's general election.

Moellemann quit the party in March, saying he was victim of a witch hunt. Party chiefs blamed his war of words with German Jewish leaders for the FDP's poor election showing.

Prosecutors had been investigating whether he hid party donations that financed a campaign leaflet criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Moellemann hit the headlines last year for supporting a Syrian-born politician in North Rhine-Westphalia who had accused Israel of using "Nazi methods" against Palestinians.

He argued at the time he was merely challenging a taboo in a country still afflicted by guilt over the Holocaust and was questioning its unwavering public support for Israel.

Moellemann was economy minister and vice chancellor from 1991 to 1993 when the FDP was junior partner in a coalition with the conservatives under Helmut Kohl.

While I'd (of course) be the last to suggest that any American, especially a Texan or Californian, could perhaps use some geography lessons...

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[ERICCONNELLY 0]

Yeah, they both speak them funny languages, what's the diff?