VW AFFAIR COULD DELAY SHARE SALE - STOLTENBERG
West German Finance Minister Gerhard
Stoltenberg was quoted as saying a possible currency fraud at
Volkswagen AG <VOWG.F> may affect government plans to sell its
20 pct stake in the carmaker this year.
    "It is all very unpleasant for us because we have decided to
privatise the VW shares this year. We will now have to ask
ourselves the question whether we can keep to this date," he
told Bild am Sonntag newspaper in an interview.
    Bild am Sonntag released the text ahead of publication
    Stoltenberg did not elaborate on the share sale. The West
German government owns 20 pct of VW ordinary share capital and
has said previously it plans to sell it either in 1987 or 1988.
    Stoltenberg told Bild am Sonntag the possible fraud showed
there had "clearly been reprehensible criminal conduct below the
level of the responsible management board."
    "I do not want to prejudge results but the immediate and
serious question which poses itself is whether certain
management board members have kept their areas of business
under appropriate control," he was quoted as saying.
    VW said last week it had discovered possibly fraudulent
currency transactions which could cost the company 480 mln
marks and had asked state prosecutors to investigate.
    It said on Friday it had dismissed the head of its foreign
exchange department, Burkhard Junger.
    VW also said it suspended six staff, including financial
transfer department chief Guenther Borchert and the head of the
central cash and currency clearing department, Siegfried
Mueller.
 REUTER
