The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, has urged the Nigerian government to ensure public officials do not engage in unnecessary interactions with the tobacco industry.
CAPPA’s call was in reaction to reports that alleged that British American Tobacco Plc, BAT, ran a mass surveillance operation and informant network in South Africa and made questionable payments to the tune of $600,000 to dozens of individuals in 10 African countries.
The reports, released September 13, are based on analyses of whistleblower documents and court records by the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath and published by STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog.
The investigation allegedly connects BAT to hand-delivered cash, cars, per diems and campaign donations to dozens of politicians, civil servants, journalists as well as people working at competitor companies.
The payments, the reports add, may have helped secure influence on health policies in key African countries.
However, Vanguard reports that BAT denied any wrongdoing, when contacted.
In fact, BAT rejected the “mischaracterisation of our conduct by some media outlets”, directing the reporter to its site where it responded to the allegations.
The multinational said: “BAT fully cooperated with a UK SFO investigation, and in January 2021 the SFO announced that, ‘following extensive investigation and a comprehensive review of the available evidence’, it had closed its investigation into BAT, its subsidiaries and associated persons, without charge.” Read the report HERE.
CAPPA reacts
Reacting in statement by Philip Jakpor, its Director of Programmes, CAPPA said the findings are not at all surprising, because they confirm the organisations’ long-standing position that the tobacco industry will do everything to compromise systems and thwart tobacco control in Africa.
