innocent until proven guilty

 

You ignorant SOB! This is the Internet - GUILTY until proven innocent!

In all seriousness, I hope he returns safely to his family first and foremost. Everything else can be sorted out later.

 

Who The Hell Is Uwe Gemballa? - uwe gemballa - Jalopnik

This is a very interesting situation. Can't wait for the movie in 5-10 years. There just HAS to be more to this.

 

so true,..

 

Gemballa founder missing in South Africa - company seeks insolvency


Uwe Gemballa driving Porsche 911 GT 650

"Police in South Africa are looking into a missing persons report regarding Uwe Gemballa. Gemballa, 54, is the founder of well known German tuning firm Gemballa Automobiletechnik, which has just filed for insolvency protection.

Gemballa has been missing for the past three weeks after his wife wired €1 million to him in South Africa. Gemballa was flying to that country on business, arriving on February 8. He was set to leave on the 10th, but his whearabouts are unknown.

The tuning firm was in talks to open a showroom in Johannesburg.

"South African police are working with German police and are investigating a missing persons inquiry," said police spokesman Vishnu Naidoo. Kidnapping has not been ruled out. One red flag being investigated is Gemballa's request for a €1 million wire from his wife following a traffic accident.

Gemballa Automobiletechnik employs 40 people, and develops supercars that cost up to €700,000. The firm has outlets in Australia, Europe, and North America.

With the recent insolvency filing, police in Germany will likely examine Gemballa's financial books and balance sheets. South African police are no doubt investigating more sinister motives."

 

So his wife wired him 1mm Euro??

"Gemballa has been missing for the past three weeks after his wife wired €1 million to him in South Africa. Gemballa was flying to that country on business, arriving on February 8. He was set to leave on the 10th, but his whearabouts are unknown."

anyone know if this is confirmed?

 

DJ,
There has been no confirmation from the authorities either in Germany or South Africa that any money was wired anywhere or changed hands.
Uwe Gemballa's request to his wife is what generated her contact with the authorities.

Sadly, there have been numerous scatological media reports that defy logic. I will try to summarize my objections to their sheer lunacy:

If Uwe was planning to go on the run, wouldn't he arrange any big financial transactions, illegal or otherwise, before he left? Why would he ask his wife to do it?
If he was going on the run, wouldn't he arrange to take his family?
If he was going on the run, why would his wife involve the police and report him missing?
If he was going on the run, why would he create a new German company before he left?
If he actually went on the run to SA, he wouldn't have to hide. South Africa is one of dozens of countries that have no extradition treaty with Germany.
And there are many a lot closer than South Africa.

No, IMHO, Uwe is being held against his will by persons unknown. Time is not in his favor. After this long, many kidnap victims are never found.

I will continue to pray for his safe return.

 

^^ Thanks for the update and clarification

 

There was another article in the present-day issue of the "stuttgarter Zeitung". It quoted the liquidator who is checking the Gemballa finances.
He said that Gemballa's volume of sales halved from 2007 (16 Mio. €) to 2009 (8 Mio. €). According to the article Gemballa made a loss of 1,2 Mio € in 2009.
The liquidator is currently checking if there's a possibility to safe Gemballa. There are already potential buyers and investors.

http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/st...finanznot.html

 

Sounds like a pretty typical situation given the world economy.

Doesn't really smack of anything fraudulent.