Day 077 - 25 Jan 95 - Page 74
1 Worldwide Wildlife Association, and the whole matter has
2 not got to the desk of Fred Turner in Oak Brook, Head
3 Office Chicago, who issued a worldwide edict that no
4 McDonald's plant was to use Brazilian beef." Had you heard
5 of that edict before that conversation 17th May with Bob
6 Rhea?
7 A. No.
8
9 Q. You go on: "What I have asked you for this morning is for
10 you to approach Lord Sam", indeed is that Lord Sam Vesty?
11 A. Yes.
12
13 Q. "Indeed I would do it myself, for a letter to the effect
14 that the Vesty Organisation has for a number of years been
15 killing beef in Brazil and that Brazilian beef probably is
16 in terms of numbers second only to the Argentine in South
17 America, and all beef emanates from the States which are
18 long established and in no way is this beef coming from
19 reclaimed land from destroyed rainforestss. With my
20 knowledge of the Vesty Organisation, and indeed my personal
21 friendship with people who have worked in Brazil, I am sure
22 this is correct." This is David Walker speaking in May
23 1983. Were you sure that it was correct?
24 A. Yes, I was absolutely, because of the exchange of
25 management. I knew people who worked in Barretos. I knew
26 people who had come from Barretos back to Australia.
27
28 Q. Do you think from your knowledge of him that Lord Vesty
29 would write, as it were, a certificate, a letter of
30 certification, that beef did not come from rainforest areas
31 if in fact it did?
32 A. No, he would never do that.
33
34 Q. We will look at the Lord Vesty letter in a moment which
35 came shortly after this. In the end do you know who it was
36 that approached Lord Vesty for that letter? Was it
37 Mr. Bartram or was it you?
38 A. I think it was Peter Bartram.
39
40 Q. You go on: "If Lord Sam would be kind enough to write to me
41 confirming these facts and the fact that the cattle from
42 estates established up to 100 years by now, the letter will
43 be kept filed here in McKey and a copy will be sent to
44 McDonald's in London,. Possibly the Managing Director of
45 McDonald's Bob Rhea will use the letter to backup our
46 business with Weddel and explain to Fred Turner in Chicago
47 the reasons for his decision. I realise that what we are
48 talking about is political. I can assure you that there is
49 no intention for anybody to send Lord Sam's letter back to
50 Buckingham Palace, but we must have belt and braces in this
51 situation."
52
53 If you would turn back, I am sorry about this, to the end
54 of your statement in this file which is behind the main tab
55 file, you will I hope find a copy of the Lord Vesty's
56 letter of 6th June 1993. Is it there? What I would ask
57 you to do with that, Mr. Walker, is to turn back to the end
58 of the file where you were a moment ago, just following
59 your letter to Peter Bartram of 17th May, the second page
60 of which should be numbered 13?
