Bayer, Lilly, DuPont, Dow may face apartheid lawsuit in 2-3 months

Source - AFX Asia (Eng)
Wednesday, April 23, 2003  15:49

    FRANKFURT (AFX) - Bayer AG and three US companies may face a US lawsuit
in the next two to three months for allegedly supplying defoliants for
military uses to the former South African apartheid regime, US lawyer Ed
Fagan told the Financial Times Deutschland.

    The US companies are Eli Lilly Co, El DuPont de Nemours & Co and Dow
Chemical Co.

    However, Fagan said the lawsuit can be still avoided if the companies
make public internal documents about the products.

    "Otherwise, the lawsuits will be filed in 60-90 days," said Fagan, who
became known for representing former slave labourers under the Nazi regime
in lawsuits against German companies.

    Fagan told the paper he had contacted the companies in writing last
Friday. However, a Bayer spokesman said it has not yet had contact with
Fagan.

    The spokesman added Bayer has produced defoliants but for agricultural
uses only and not for military uses.

    "Bayer has sold these defoliants to South African farmers, and there is
no knowledge of any misuse of these products," he said.