bossradio93
04-20-2006, 11:35 AM
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/04/20/germany.notes.ap/index.html
Retiree flushes cash down toilet
Thursday, April 20, 2006; Posted: 10:06 a.m. EDT (14:06 GMT)
BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- A retiree in northern Germany flushed about 30,000 marks (euro15,300, US$18,900) down the toilet, believing the old bank notes were worthless, police said.
Officials were alerted by a blocked pipe in the northern city of Kiel. A cleaning company employee extracted soggy bundles of bank notes, but more money got away as the water started flowing again.
Investigators then discovered that the retiree had reported a blocked pipe at his house the same day. They visited the "slightly bewildered" man at his apartment and he confirmed that he had flushed the money away, a police statement issued late Wednesday said.
The 64-year-old "was of the opinion that mark notes no longer had any value," it added. He still had another 30,000 marks at the apartment, as well as euro14,000 (US$17,300) in euro bills.
Police accompanied the retiree to a bank, where he deposited the money.
Euro notes and coins replaced 12 national currencies in 2002. Europeans can still exchange the old money at their central banks.
Copyright ©2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN.com-April 20, 2006
Retiree flushes cash down toilet
Thursday, April 20, 2006; Posted: 10:06 a.m. EDT (14:06 GMT)
BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- A retiree in northern Germany flushed about 30,000 marks (euro15,300, US$18,900) down the toilet, believing the old bank notes were worthless, police said.
Officials were alerted by a blocked pipe in the northern city of Kiel. A cleaning company employee extracted soggy bundles of bank notes, but more money got away as the water started flowing again.
Investigators then discovered that the retiree had reported a blocked pipe at his house the same day. They visited the "slightly bewildered" man at his apartment and he confirmed that he had flushed the money away, a police statement issued late Wednesday said.
The 64-year-old "was of the opinion that mark notes no longer had any value," it added. He still had another 30,000 marks at the apartment, as well as euro14,000 (US$17,300) in euro bills.
Police accompanied the retiree to a bank, where he deposited the money.
Euro notes and coins replaced 12 national currencies in 2002. Europeans can still exchange the old money at their central banks.
Copyright ©2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN.com-April 20, 2006