Uwe Gemballa found dead
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RIP, condolences to his family and friends.
Here are the autoblog / jalopnik articles posted earlier on the sites:
Here are the autoblog / jalopnik articles posted earlier on the sites:
http://jalopnik.com/5654064/uwe-gemb...n-south-africa
Uwe Gemballa — who ran a company featuring Porsche upgrades and disappeared soon after arriving in South Africa five months ago — has been found dead, shot execution-style in the head. Gemballa's disappearance caused many outlets — us included — to question what Gemballa was involved in. The Sunday Times now claims he may have become embroiled in a money laundering scheme involving Czech billionaire Radovan Krejcir and
Uwe Gemballa — who ran a company featuring Porsche upgrades and disappeared soon after arriving in South Africa five months ago — has been found dead, shot execution-style in the head. Gemballa's disappearance caused many outlets — us included — to question what Gemballa was involved in. The Sunday Times now claims he may have become embroiled in a money laundering scheme involving Czech billionaire Radovan Krejcir and
"The discovery of his body threatens to blow wide open an international syndicate - stretching from Switzerland and Germany to Johannesburg - involving alleged money laundering, tax evasion, imported cars stuffed with cash and contract killings."
So all we know now is that finding his body is only the first step in finding the truth of what in the world happened to Uwe Gemballa. (Hat tip to Amadeus_IOM!) [Sunday Times]
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/03/b...-south-africa/
News is coming in that the body of Uwe Gemballa has been found in South Africa. Gemballa was the former CEO of the Porsche tuning company that bears his name. As we reported earlier this year, Mr. Gemballa went missing in February after arriving in South Africa for a business trip.
The details that poured in after the reported disappearance of Gemballa caused great speculation that shady business deals were afoot. He was reportedly having trouble paying its employees, his wife was given power of attorney and registered the company for bankruptcy and he had started a second company with his 79 year-old mother listed as the sole stockholder.
To further muddy the waters, it's being reported that Uwe Gemballa was turning towards Czech fugitive and South African organized crime boss, Radovan Krejcir. A former business partner of Krejcirs by the name of Juan Meyer has provided the local police with a sworn statement, saying that the Porsche tuner and the mobster were working on a business arrangement. Gemballa was slow in getting money to Krejcir and it may be what cost him his life.
It's a sad, speculative end for a once famed tuner of German sports cars. The Gemballa company has moved on since Uwe's disappearance but these new stories can't help it as remaining employees attempt to revive the company.
News is coming in that the body of Uwe Gemballa has been found in South Africa. Gemballa was the former CEO of the Porsche tuning company that bears his name. As we reported earlier this year, Mr. Gemballa went missing in February after arriving in South Africa for a business trip.
The details that poured in after the reported disappearance of Gemballa caused great speculation that shady business deals were afoot. He was reportedly having trouble paying its employees, his wife was given power of attorney and registered the company for bankruptcy and he had started a second company with his 79 year-old mother listed as the sole stockholder.
To further muddy the waters, it's being reported that Uwe Gemballa was turning towards Czech fugitive and South African organized crime boss, Radovan Krejcir. A former business partner of Krejcirs by the name of Juan Meyer has provided the local police with a sworn statement, saying that the Porsche tuner and the mobster were working on a business arrangement. Gemballa was slow in getting money to Krejcir and it may be what cost him his life.
It's a sad, speculative end for a once famed tuner of German sports cars. The Gemballa company has moved on since Uwe's disappearance but these new stories can't help it as remaining employees attempt to revive the company.
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More Yellow Journalism
Sadly, I've been reading the internet press about Uwe Gemballa's demise.
To quote Yogi Berra, this feels like "Deja Vu all over again".
PLEASE! I think we should all wait until the investigation is complete before we toss Uwe Gemballa into the middle of a business deal with Czech gangsters and South African murderers.
This whole story about money stashed in Gemballa cars and revenge killings and such sounds really "National Enquirer" to me.
Remember that South Africa is consistently one of the world leaders in kidnappings for profit. And there are more murders in SA than in the US each year (and the US has six times the population).
Most of the Internet press is already in a "crack frenzy", spreading the Czech conspiracy story and passing it off like it is a certainty. These are the very same yellow "journalists" who said Uwe Gemballa deliberately abandoned his business and family and was hiding out in South Africa. And we all know how accurate that story turned out to be.
Let's follow the leadership and restraint shown by several responsible sites and forums and wait for all the facts. It's the fair and classy thing to do.
I concede that it is possible that Uwe MAY have crossed the line out of desperation and made a deal with the "devil" to try and save his company. If so, I forgive him. His passion for our lifestyle and his lifetime of contributions to the world of performance cars vastly outweigh such a transgression.
In time, most of the facts will come out. Let's just be patient. I will surmise that the final story will look significantly different than the one being served up today.
To quote Yogi Berra, this feels like "Deja Vu all over again".
PLEASE! I think we should all wait until the investigation is complete before we toss Uwe Gemballa into the middle of a business deal with Czech gangsters and South African murderers.
This whole story about money stashed in Gemballa cars and revenge killings and such sounds really "National Enquirer" to me.
Remember that South Africa is consistently one of the world leaders in kidnappings for profit. And there are more murders in SA than in the US each year (and the US has six times the population).
Most of the Internet press is already in a "crack frenzy", spreading the Czech conspiracy story and passing it off like it is a certainty. These are the very same yellow "journalists" who said Uwe Gemballa deliberately abandoned his business and family and was hiding out in South Africa. And we all know how accurate that story turned out to be.
Let's follow the leadership and restraint shown by several responsible sites and forums and wait for all the facts. It's the fair and classy thing to do.
I concede that it is possible that Uwe MAY have crossed the line out of desperation and made a deal with the "devil" to try and save his company. If so, I forgive him. His passion for our lifestyle and his lifetime of contributions to the world of performance cars vastly outweigh such a transgression.
In time, most of the facts will come out. Let's just be patient. I will surmise that the final story will look significantly different than the one being served up today.
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What a sad conclusion, all of you in that previous thread that slandered his name should be ashamed. We all do things in life we are not proud of, and its still no less of a tragedy. He was an inspiration and a man that followed his dream and may he rest in peace.
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