Opinion
The Hollywood star and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has broken his silence for the first time after being detained at Munich airport in Germany for failing to declare a luxury watch.
Schwarzenegger Detained At German Airport
Daily Mail reported that Schwarzenegger, 76, was heading to Germany to auction off the watch for his eco charity when he was detained for three hours by customs officials after landing. His spokeswoman told BILD that he “cooperated at all times, even though it was an incompetent investigation, a total comedy full of errors, but which would make a very funny police film.”
The spokeswoman went on to say that the former Terminator star “immediately agreed to pay the customs duty,” which reportedly amounted to $38,000, and that it was his “own personal watch.”
A source close to Schwarzenegger told Fox News that he “was never asked to fill out a declaration form, and he answered every question from customs officers honestly.”
“The watch will likely still be auctioned tomorrow, and the Schwarzenegger Climate Initiative will properly report it, as all of Arnold’s nonprofits do,” the insider said. “His charity auctions raise millions of dollars every year for after-school programs for kids all over the United States and environmental work around the world.”
“We hope Germany spends as much energy turning around their economy as they do asking for tax payments for people’s property they bring into the country, and we hope next time they don’t make him pay taxes on his suits,” the source added.
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Schwarzenegger Forced To Pay Up
Mediaite reported that Schwarzenegger was forced to pay $38,000 to customs officials, who demanded half in cash. The officials reportedly escorted him to an ATM, where they had him withdraw the money.
“If the goods remain in the EU, you have to declare them through customs,” said a customs office spokesperson. “This applies to everyone, whether their name is Schwarzenegger or Müller, Meier, Huber.”
Schwarzenegger himself later told reporters that this incident represents a “problem that Germany is suffering from,” and that the country “can no longer see the forest for the trees.”
Schwarzenegger is now facing criminal tax proceedings, according to NBC News.
“Criminal tax proceedings have been initiated by us. This will then be processed by our criminal and fines office. It’s too early to say what the outcome will be. There are many factors that have to be taken into account. It will still take some time,” said Thomas Meister, a spokesman for Munich’s customs office.
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Schwarzenegger Hosting Dinner And Charity Auction
At the time of this writing, Schwarzenegger is still set to host a dinner and charity auction tonight in the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbühel.
“‘Whenever people say to me, ‘You are the perfect description of a self-made man,’ I thank them, but tell them they can call me anything they want — but not self-made. I got a lot of help throughout my life and we all need help,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement about the event.
“So tonight we ask for help,” he continued. “We have to give back and change the world. Today we can all give back by helping to create a cleaner and healthier future.”
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