DRIVING INTO ILLEGAL TERRITORY

[Neil D]

CORPORATE POWER -- DRIVING INTO ILLEGAL TERRITORY: In a story that has no shortage of intrigue, the Wall Street Journal reported this morning that the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into the Mercedes unit of Daimler Chrysler, the world’s fifth largest automaker. The company caught investigators’ attention last year, when a Chrysler accountant claimed that the corporation kept dozens of secret bank accounts, which were allegedly used to bribe foreign officials. But the inquiry took a surprising turn last month, when a company director committed suicide and left a note alluding to the investigation. Then, just last week, CEO Juergen Schrempp announced that he would be “retiring” early, nearly three years before his contract runs out. Unsurprisingly, the company has refused to say whether it is related to the investigation.