TVIND ALERT

Humana in Germany has suffered a severe blow, as all 70 organisations in a Berlin umbrella aid organisation called BER (“Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag”) have rejected invitations to the official opening of a huge new Humana clothes sorting facility, due to open on Monday (September 21st).

At the heart of the NGOs’ criticism is that Humana presents itself as a development aid organisation, while the BER believes that it has nothing to do with classic development aid and is not a serious charity. “We don’t want Humana in Berlin”, says CEO Alexander Schudy. Schudy called for ‘a broad social alliance against Humana’, comparing the boycott to protests against Scientology, which opened a new headquarters in the German capital in January 2007.

More details and BER statement

Friday last week (September 4) the Danish police acted promptly, when a former policeman called them, because he had spotted the fugitive TG-boss, Mogens Amdi Petersen, in a shop in Holbaek in Denmark.

Or, he thought he had spotted the TG-boss, who is wanted by the police to stand trial for tax fraud and embezzlement for millions of Danish Kroner. Mogens Amdi Petersen and four other TG-bosses fled Denmark and went into hiding, probably in either Zimbabwe or Mexico, before the appeal trial in High Court. Only one TG-leader, Poul Joergensen, remained in Denmark and stood trial. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

The police Friday at once went to the shop and got hold of a man and a woman. But it was not Mogens Amdi Petersen – but a lookalike, an innocent local teacher. The incident shows that the Danish police have not given up hunting Mogens Amdi Petersen and the other TG-bosses to get them stand trial.

In August 2009 Chelsea wrote to Tvind Alert: “My name is Chelsea and I am currently a volunteer at IICD Michigan. I’m leaving tomorrow for many reasons. There are many things wrong here. I was wondering if any volunteer actually sued humana or the IICD? I spent $1,000 and was not told of anything.” Chelsea has since sent a complaint to the Attorney General’s office in Michigan.

This is the story she told us. Index of all stories.

One of the top-bosses in the Teachers Group (TG), the body that runs Tvind and Humana, Poul Joergensen, is now behind bars. Earlier this year he was sentenced by a Danish court to two and a half years imprisonment for serious tax fraud and embezzlement of millions of Danish Kroner.

Joergensen 68, was the only one of several accused to stand trial. Five other top-leaders, including Mogens Amdi Petersen, have fled from Denmark to avoid the trial. The Danish police have not been able to find them. They are believed to be in hiding in either Zimbabwe or Mexico, where the TG has its luxury headquarters.

According to the Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Joergensen was denied the right to appeal to the Danish High Court and is now in prison. If he behaves well in prison he will probably be released in one year and three months – after serving half of the 2.5 years sentence.