$3.8 million Mercedes-Benz lifted by U.S. soldiers in World War II returning to German family

Last August, this 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster, one of 29 built, sold for $3.8 million at an auction in California. Today, it sits in a German impound yard after the heirs of its first owner claimed it was wrongly taken from their family by U.S. soldiers after World War II. Some cars you just never forget.

There's little dispute about the early history of this roadster, a top-of-the-line car for Mercedes in its pre-war heyday, capable of 160 hp from its straight-eight engine, and the centerpiece of Mercedes' display at the 1935 Berlin Motor Show. Following the show, records show it was sold to one Hans Friedrich Prym -- the inventor of the clothing snap, whose family remains in the fastening business today.

At the time of its sale last year by RM Auctions, the car's history went blurry until the 1970s. But after collector Frans von Haren bought the car and returned it to Germany for resale earlier this year, the descendants of Prym sued in German court, claiming American soliders stationed on the Prym family estate had swiped the car at the end of World War II.

According to Bloomberg, Prym had been imprisoned by Allied forces and the car's caretaker away from the estate a few days when the Mercedes disappeared. Under German law, the 30-year statue of limitations for theft only starts when the stolen property returns to German soil.

A court ruled Prym's family has a right to reclaim the car, far from the first piece of war treasure repatriated over the years. The Pryms should consider themselves far luckier than other wealthy families of the age, such as the heirs of Louis Renault, who have sued for reparations after the French government took the entire Renault automaking business from the family following WWII.

Kenyan student held in US over alleged cannibalism

A 21-year-old student from Kenya was held without bail in the US state of Maryland Saturday after allegedly killing and eating parts of his housemate, CNN television reported. Alexander Kinyua was arrested after being charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and second-degree assault in the alleged cannibalism case, the network said.
Harford County Sheriff Jesse Bane told reporters that Kinyua admitted killing his Ghanian housemate, cutting him up, and then eating his heart and part of his brain, the report said. According to the Harford County District Court case record, the killing occurred on May 25.

Six days earlier, Kinyua was involved in a fight on the Baltimore campus of Morgan State University, which had led to charges against Kinyua, including first-degree assault and reckless endangerment, CNN said.
The gruesome find was made by Antony Kinyua -- Alexander Kinyua's father -- who called a Harford County detective and told him that he had come across two metal tins containing human body parts covered by a blanket in the basement laundry room, the report said.

The tins contained the head and two hands of Kujoe Bonsafo Agyei-Kodie, a housemate of Kinyua, who lived in Joppatowne, Maryland, and was considered missing.
The rest of the victim's remains were found in a dumpster.
A missing person's report filed May 26 described Agyei-Kodie, 37, as "very intelligent." He had earned multiple master's degrees from schools in Ghana and was a graduate student at Morgan State University until 2008, CNN said.

Female Banker Arraigned For Stealing N125 Million

What a man can do, like they say, women can do better. And one woman who tried to live out this dictum in the wrong way has been arraigned on a 15-count of conspiracy and fraud before the Federal High Court in Umuahia, Abia State.
Marilyn-Joan Obiora, a staff of Diamond Bank Plc, was dragged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), followed a petition by Mr. Stephen Inegbu, the zonal security supervisor of Diamond Bank Plc in Port Harcourt, over sharp practices by the suspect and others at large.

Marilyn-Joan's fraud was detected during a routine examination of customers’ accounts in the bank. According to Mr. Inegbu, the Bank’s inspection unit unravelled three cases of fraud involving the following amounts: N26 million; N91.6 million; and N8 million.
The EFCC said upon further investigation, it was discovered that Marilyn-Joan masterminded the fraudulent withdrawals which amounted to a total of N125.6 million, with help from four other officials of the Bank, now at large.
Although Marilyn-Joan pleaded not guilty to the charges, Justice Umar remanded her in custody and adjourned the case to July 19th, 2012, for commencement of trial.