Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 06
1 particularly appear to be very detailed in terms of each of
2 the points covered by the libel action. Do you know
3 whether there was a separate document, or what the
4 situation was?
5 A. I do not know.
6
7 Q. You do not know?
8 A. No.
9
10 Q. Then No 6 is a letter from London Greenpeace distancing
11 themselves from London Greenpeace which can be used in
12 briefing media and consumer, so you were aware that your
13 communications department was initiating, getting, such a
14 letter?
15 A. Well, from this, I cannot tell you if they were
16 initiating or if they already had it, but I certainly know
17 such a letter exists. Whether we instigated it or whether
18 they came to us and said, "We want you to know this",
19 I really do not know, I cannot remember.
20
21 Q. I think the letter actually indicates that it is in
22 response to an enquiry?
23 A. That could be.
24
25 Q. I will not turn it up right now. It also says they need a
26 meeting as soon as possible and one strategy, 2 spokes
27 people. Do you know what that is referring to?
28 A. I would assume it is a meeting with Greenpeace. There
29 is an error in front of that. Maybe "need a meeting with
30 Greenpeace".
31
32 Q. Do you know whether one took place?
33 A. I do not know. I certainly did not attend one.
34
35 Q. Right. Do you know what the "strategy and spokes people"
36 refers to? Is that the Company or is that asking for
37 spokes people from Greenpeace, or what?
38 A. I could only speculate, I do not know.
39
40 Q. You do not know. No 11 is: "Subject to agree strategy,
41 briefing of key media in advance of case to clarify why
42 McDonald's is bringing this action". What was the "agreed
43 strategy"?
44 A. I think the overall goal was to establish the truth,
45 and that is all it has ever been.
46
47 Q. Yes, but we are talking about "the strategy" in terms of
48 putting over how you were going to put over what you
49 considered your side of the story to be?
50 A. I do not think we had any strategy. I think it all
51 depended on what was happening at the time. At the end of
52 January the circulation of material by London Greenpeace,
53 or the so-called McLibel Support Group, had either just
54 begun or was about to begin. We, until this point in time,
55 had not done any circulation of anything at all in
56 literature form. I think it was to be used as and when
57 necessary, but certainly not to use as a first issue.
58
59 Q. So, you do not actually know what the "agreed strategy"
60 that is referred to there is?
