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http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-germany-defense-minister0718jul18.story?coll=sns%2Dap%2Dnationworld%2Dheadlines � German Official to Be Replaced By Associated Press July 18, 2002, 8:14 AM EDT BERLIN -- German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping will be replaced after revelations he accepted $72,000 from a public relations adviser, a senior member of the governing Social Democrats was quoted as saying Thursday. Government officials had no immediate comment, but Scharping stopped touring military bases in western Germany to fly back to Berlin and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder canceled an appearance in southern Bayreuth. "A decision has been made," Gernot Erler, the deputy leader in parliament of Schroeder's party, said in an advance copy of an interview with the daily newspaper Die Welt. "There will be a personnel change at the top of the Defense Ministry." Scharping's ouster comes less than 10 weeks before national elections in which Schroeder is seeking a second term. Scharping told the Bild daily newspaper he received $72,100 from public relations adviser Moritz Hunzinger for his future memoirs and for speeches at events sponsored by the public relations agency. But Scharping said the payments were for deals concluded before he became a minister in 1998 and insisted he properly reported them to tax authorities. German ministers are not allowed to receive any payments besides their salaries. Scharping, who unsuccessfully challenged Helmut Kohl for the chancellorship in 1994, has been involved in several incidents that have embarrassed Schroeder's government. Last summer, magazine photos showed Scharping and his girlfriend splashing in a pool on the Spanish resort island of Mallorca as German troops prepared to depart for Macedonia. It then was revealed he used an air force plane to return overnight to Mallorca at taxpayers' expense. This year, the opposition tried to oust Scharping over allegations he broke budget laws by promising Germany's partners to buy 73 A400M Airbus military transport planes even though parliament approved buying only 40. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Autos - Get free new car price quotes http://autos.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
