Credit where credit is due, the SMA campaign has reached such levels of political manipulation and directed malice that you could easily imagine that its membership were being professionally orchestrated to achieve the desired result, ie the removal of lawfully owned property from one entity to be given to another. Why, because the entity wanting the land had vast experience in making failed airports profitable? No. Apparently one of their employees helped in the financing of one airport, once. Because they have the backing of a 40% stakeholder in Gatwick? No, it seems that Iris Johnston had been misled by someone on that one. Why then? Because they have a very persuasive front man? Possibly. Is it possible for so many people, including those in local government to believe in something that not necessarily is quite what it seems? Well, once upon a time there was a former Canadian Military Airbase in Lahre. At the end of the cold war, like so many military airfields it became redundant. Seeing their stretch of wonderful concrete as a bit of a national asset, the good people of Lahr decided to make the most of their asset and in the interests of brevity, a number of businesses successively tried to make a go of the airport, one of which was a company called Wiggins, then Plane Station. This firm was represented by a bit of a smooth talker. Things didnt work out and it ended up in the hands of an Australian company, Babcock & Brown. They were struggling to turn a profit and wanted to cut their loses. In walks a smooth talker representing a company called Integeral, a London based investment company. This is June 2012 but Integeral had a few problems of its own back in London. It had two directors and both of these men had been employed as director and Secretary of another firm at the same time Insetco. After a bit of a board room spat with the CEO of Insetco, things got a bit messy and to cut a long story short Insetco brought winding up proceedings in respect of Integeral. Now from the local newspapers back in Germany, it would seem that the good people of Lahrs including their Mayor, had absolutely no idea of Integerals London problems and they took over the Company running the Airport. Integerals smooth talking representative told of how that they would concentrate on freight and that a Nigerian Aircraft company would come and base themselves at the airport. They would have aircraft dismantling, a fleet of four 747s for hire, sell 2nd hand aircraft and provide charged parking for mothballed aircraft. etc etc. As the months went by without any sign of any of the promised activity, people were starting to ask questions. Their fears were allayed by the smooth talker but not for long as the workers werent getting paid. They had the temerity to go to the press much to our smooth talkers chagrin, who took the view that not paying the workers was a completely private affair. Meanwhile back in London Integeral already the subject of an adjourned winding up order, had applied to be placed into administration. The people of Lahrs seem to have been oblivious to all this and the promises still flowed. Even when the Company that ran the airport went into administration it seems that no one was aware of the situation with the parent company, which on the 30th January 2013 was wound up in the High Court. Mr Richard Snowden QC was not persuaded by Integerals argument that the creditors would be better off if the company went into administration. In his judgement Mr Richard Snowden QC declared that he did not have faith in the truth or accuracy of the evidence of Integerals director, Mr Sanjeev Joshi. It is a very interesting judgement as although there is mention of the Black Forest Airport it is not obvious that the nature of the relationship between the Airport and Integeral is known to the court. Meanwhile back in Lahr Mr smooth talker is still making promises, although it would seem that the company he represented had ceased to exist. Snow to Eskimos? Well the Mayor has had enough and starts a new tendering process for the running of their national asset. A few companies tender, including one called Annax Aviation. This is a newly set up company by Mr Smooth Talker. It is perhaps not entirely surprising that the burghers of Lahr thought they would give this particular bid a bit of a miss. End of Part One. Scene 2 Ive gone to the trouble of setting up a new Company, what should me and my mates do with it For more information on the story go to Baden Online and use the search term Freudmann
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 10:29:40 +0000