Day 285 - 23 Oct 96 - Page 34
1 present tense so that was only in November 1989 or indeed
2 the replies were in 1990. The replies would have been
3 after November 1989 anyway.
4
5 At the bottom, they are actually -- the replies are not
6 even dated in most cases. The same letter is just
7 countersigned. I cannot really see any value in that as
8 evidence at all. The only value of this evidence, I would
9 say, is that they are admitting that there is a
10 discrepancy as to what constitutes domestic beef.
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Do you want to take the break there?
13
14 MR. MORRIS: Yes, please.
15
16 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Five minutes.
17
18 (Short Adjournment)
19
20 MR. MORRIS: I just wanted to go back to Costa Rica for a
21 minute because I did check out the statement of Sergio
22 Quintana, which is volume yellow 14, 81A, where he says,
23 not only does he not deny that he said what he said --
24 well, he cannot deny it because he is saying it on film,
25 but what he says is Co-op Montecillos did not supply beef
26 to McDonald's anywhere else apart from Costa Rica,
27 although it did export beef to other countries.
28
29 And of course the point is, what he says in the film, is
30 that they export beef to the suppliers of McDonald's, for
31 McDonald's use, and he knew that because of specifications
32 that they had to meet for that purpose. That is what he
33 said in his interview. So he says Co-op Montecillos did
34 not supply beef to McDonald's. Well, no one said that he
35 did say that. Not direct, but through suppliers. Because
36 McDonald's do not buy raw materials.
37
38 Then he says it is inaccurate, that is the interview, in
39 what was broadcast, in that two different parts of the
40 interview I had with the film crew related to two
41 different topics have been joined together to make it
42 appear as if it was one conversation. We have the
43 transcript which has the record of the sound
44 interruptions.
45
46 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is where we have never had the tapes
47 though, is it not?
48
49 MR. MORRIS: Yes, we could not get the tapes. Then it says,
50 specifically, but it appears as if I said that Co-op
51 Montecillos exported beef to McDonald's in the United
52 States, which is not true. Well, the point is no one is
53 saying that he said he exported beef to McDonald's in the
54 United States, saying he exported beef for McDonald's in
55 the United States.
56
57 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Does he actually say for McDonald's? You
58 say to the suppliers --
59
60 MR. MORRIS: He says --
