German shoots self in the head over money woes

CEBU CITY — A German national is now in a coma after he allegedly shot himself in the head on allegations that he lost P4.5 million he had deposited in a bank that went bankrupt.

Ebahart Linke, 48, a resident of Barangay Tatay, Danao City, was drinking with friends Allan Matugas and a certain Pilo in his house at about 2:30 a.m. last Sunday when the incident happened.

Linke and his friends were discussing money matters when the German reportedly got depressed, pulled out his caliber .38 pistol, and shot himself in the head.

Linke’s friends reportedly said they did not expect Linke to shoot himself as he was reportedly always carrying his gun and playing with it.

Linke’s Filipina wife, Gina, said she heard a shot early Sunday morning and rushed to where her husband and his friends were drinking.

When she saw her husband lying on the floor and covered with blood, Gina said she immediately called the Danao Rescue Unit, who then rushed her unconscious husband to the district hospital.

He was later transferred to the Cebu Doctors’ Hospital where he has remained unconscious.

Gina alleged that her husband had always attempted to take his own life whenever he was drunk.

Based on reports from the provincial police, Linke’s drinking reportedly became worse after he allegedly lost P4.5 million when the Prime Bank of Mandaue, where he had reportedly deposited his money, declared bankruptcy in 2000.

But the Danao police had another version of why the German national attempted to take his own life.

According to the Danao police, Linke tried to kill himself because he allegedly invested his money in a lending business that went belly up when the man running the venture reportedly committed suicide years ago.

It was alleged that his last financial hope was a loan from Prime Bank, but this was dashed when the bank later declared bankruptcy.

Police have requested for a paraffin test on the victim, and have also invited Gina and Linke’s two friends who were with him at the time of the incident for questioning. — Freeman News Service