CEO Of U.S. Gun-Maker Faces Jail In Germany

[MrPrena]

Another foreign executive in jail.
I thought sig is now a US company, but I guess it is still somewhat swiss german and US.


https://www.npr.org/2019/02/25/696690043/ceo-of-u-s-gun-maker-faces-jail-in-germany




......The corporate relationship between the German and U.S.-based Sig Sauer companies is also not completely clear. L&O Holding, a conglomerate based in Germany, owns both the German and U.S.-based Sig Sauer companies, as well as a third firm, Swiss Arms. The companies appear to operate as independent entities, though it isn't clear how closely they may collaborate.

But prosecutors allege that officials at the two companies worked hand in glove to hide the nature of the Colombia arms sale. Emails leaked to the German media show employees at the German and New Hampshire entities discussing the "USA/Kolumbien" transaction, and images of Sig Sauer weapons bearing a "Made in Germany" imprint have surfaced in Colombia.
......

[UrbanWolf]

Why would he do that when he runs a company as big as Sig?

[ChickNorris]

I have an answer to root what makes a man do this kind of stupid, but Ginsue says this is a family site so you'll just have to use your imagination.

[Irving]

Sounds like just good marketing to me. Put your guns in the hands of the winners and they'll remember that when they come out the other side. Every combatant has a soft spot for their war weapons right?

[Not_A_Llama]

I believe this was also the cause for the end of the SSG-3000's importation into the US. Still a phenomenal platform.

[BushMasterBoy]

Vice President Pence is in Colombia right now. Maybe that will help the guy.

[Duman]

Well, it's getting harder to get away with that stuff. Particularly when you leave an e-trail.....

[Irving]

I heard that Columbia wrote a check for the guns.

[Nagant1984]

Seems like Germany has some strict laws. As an American I look at this and shrug. I mean, it's people in conflict who actually needs guns the most. I would imagine this type of regulation has something to do with back in the day when Germany made the guns used in both sides of most conflicts with the Mauser rifle being the main weapon for half the world.

Some things never change. Germany continues to make some of the best and most dependable firearms.

[Gman]

I heard that Columbia wrote a check for the guns.
Get cash man!

[FireMoth]

Seems like Germany has some strict laws.

We have some pretty strict gun laws, too. ITAR is pretty heavy handed.
And allied countries are a big reason why.
If one of Germanies allies, or worse yet, Germany itself, ended up embroiled in the Columbian conflict, It would be a pretty big moral crusher for them to end up facing down the latest of german guns.
A rifle used in a sniper role is a particularly scary thing to troops.
Large contingents of US troops were halted in mid advance in Iraq because a single Barret M107 was unaccounted for.
So, any member of a state violating that states arms trade policy creates a politically precarious position, and puts into question the states political authority. Especially a state that still has a history marred by backing the wrong horse.

Lets be honest. If Remington went behind the US State Departments back to sell M40s and M24s to Iran, we would likely be calling for heads, and saying thet freedom group was an Al Queda front.

[Nagant1984]

This says the police had received a shipment of the pistols. So are the Colombian police not the “good guys”? I must confess I don’t know much about what their situation is.

[Ridge]

Narcos are pretty powerful in Colombia and there is a fair chance that state police would turn over guns to them.

[MrPrena]

I guess they gotta comply with EAR/ITAR in US, and 3 other countries. It will be much harder for Sig's compliance dept to follow all 3 laws.

I know swiss arms make sig 55x for their military, but has German govt bought any of sig stuff recently?

[Skip]

Cohen should be in jail but not for this.

[Delfuego]

Narcos are pretty powerful in Colombia and there is a fair chance that state police would turn over guns to them.All due respect, but you don't know what you are talking about. I have many friends there, visited many time and even lived there. It is complicated of course, but it's not the movies you have been watching and it's not the 1980's.

This is about corporate and political corruption and companies break the law. Same shit happens here and everywhere.

[Justin]

HK ran into similar legal issues a couple of years ago.

Given who's in charge in Germany, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this is largely motivated by politics.