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V15 2012 INDEX       E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 15, Number 5, January 29, 2012, Article 24

BANKNOTE MATH QUESTIONED

About the accompanying BBC News article, Philip Mernick writes:

This is a long running fraud trial and the reports say the prosecutor has made some interesting and in my opinion incorrect claims. He says 148.8 million Turkish Lira in 100 Lira notes would weigh 135,000 kilos and be 300 times the height of Nelson's Column.

148.8 million Lira would be 1.48 million 100 Lira notes. For 1.48 million notes to weigh 135,000 kilos each would have to weigh 90 gm or approximately 4 oz. Equally for 1.48 million notes to be as tall as 300 Nelson's Column (300 x 51.6 metres) each note would have to be 10 cm thick. I think somebody has miscalculated but nobody seems to have challenged the claims!

From the article:

Nelsons Column Businessman Asil Nadir would have needed banknotes 300 times the height of Nelson's Column to balance the books of his empire, the Old Bailey hears.

He has said when pounds were taken out in London, equivalent amounts in Turkish lire were placed in a subsidiary firm in northern Cyprus.

Philip Shears, QC, prosecuting, said the claims were "not credible".

Mr Nadir, who is accused of stealing nearly £150m from his Polly Peck empire, denies all the charges.

One the first sights I laid eyes on in London was the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square. I included an image above. I had an office near there while working in London in 2007. That would be one tall stack of banknotes. So is this story a tall tale? -Editor

To read the complete article, see: Nadir 'needed 135 tonnes of cash', a court hears (www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16757185)

Wayne Homren, Editor

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