6 October 2001

THE TREWAVAS LETTERS - 'DEAR PRAKASH'

no prizes for guessing the latest winner of the Pants on Fire award!

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Date: Apr 18 2000
From: "Tony Trewavas" <trewavas@srv0.bio.ed.ac.uk>
Subject: advice to US scientists

Dear Prakash

...[Write] to nespapers whenever you see critical comments. Editors usually read all the letters even if they dont publish them. I reckon about half the letters I have written have been published. They let the oposition know they wont get away with it.
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[Trewavas to Prakash Feb 2001]

...A further piece of information. A letter about Melchett's hypocricy that did the rounds on your network some while back got published accidentally under my name in the Glasgow Herald. Greenpeace threatened some sort of legal action. I got to got together everything I could to support the letter... and sent that to the Heralds lawyer. We have heard no more.

Anthony Trewavas FRS
Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, Mayfield Road, University of
Edinburgh

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Libel damages for Melchett

The Guardian, 6th October 2001

Greenpeace UK and its former executive director Lord Melchett yesterday accepted undisclosed libel damages from Scotland's Herald newspaper over allegations in its letter column that they deliberately spread unfounded fears about GM foods to further their own financial interests. Lord Melchett is giving the money to charities.

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Greenpeace victory over GM food claims

John Innes
The Scotsman, 6th October 2001
http://www.thescotsman.co.uk/uk.cfm?id=113633

GREENPEACE UK and its former executive director, Lord Melchett, yesterday accepted undisclosed libel damages over allegations that they deliberately spread unfounded fears about GM foods to further their own financial interests.

Their counsel, Caroline Addy, told a judge in the High Court in London that the case involved "unfounded" allegations in a letter published in the Herald, from Anthony Trewavas, Professor in Plant Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh.

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Greenpeace wins libel damages over GM food warnings

Ananova.com
Story filed: 14:55 Friday 5th October 2001

Greenpeace UK and its former executive director Lord Melchett have accepted undisclosed libel damages after issuing warnings about GM foods.

The environmental body sued The Herald newspaper in Scotland over allegations they deliberately spread unfounded fears about GM foods to further their financial interests.

Their counsel, Caroline Addy, told a judge in the High Court in London the case involved unfounded allegations in a letter published in the daily newspaper.

The letter had been written by Anthony Trewavas, Professor in Plant Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh.

...Ms Addy said: "The letter suggested that the claimants had engaged in 'shakedown' campaigns - that is, Greenpeace campaigns deliberately spreading unfounded fears about GM foods, so as to further their own financial interests, by producing personal profits for the first claimant and substantial payments from companies for the second claimant."

As well as a public apology, the defendant had agreed to pay the claimants' legal costs and an "appropriate" sum in damages which Lord Melchett had decided to donate to several charities.

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For publication in all editions of The Herald following reading of Statement in Open Court:

LORD MELCHETT AND GREENPEACE

On 3 November 2000 the Herald published a letter it had received from Anthony Trewavas, Professor in Plant Biochemistry at the University of Edinburgh.

The letter alleged that Greenpeace campaigns had deliberately spread unfounded fears about GM Foods, so as to further the financial interests of Lord Melchett and Greenpeace, that Greenpeace accepted donations from companies and had inappropriate links with commercial organisations.

The Herald acknowledges that there is no foundation in any of these allegations.

The Herald recognises that the letter should not have been published and offers its apologies to Greenpeace and Lord Melchett for its publication. Lord Melchett has agreed to donate his damages to charity; The Herald has also agreed to pay the Claimants' legal costs.