USW Statement on AWB Lawsuit
"Statement of Leonard Schock, Chairman, U.S. Wheat Associates, regarding the class action lawsuit filed against AWB today:
“A class action lawsuit against the Australian corporation AWB Limited and its U.S. subsidiary AWB (USA) Limited was filed Monday, April 16, on behalf of U.S. hard red winter wheat producers. The suit claims that AWB conspired to maintain and exploit its monopoly on wheat sold in Iraq under the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program. The suit alleges this action resulted in decreased prices at which producers were able to sell their wheat in the United States.
“Last November, a judicial panel commissioned by the Australian government to investigate AWB’s actions in Iraq found sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to warrant criminal investigations of AWB Limited, and 11 of its former executives. In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended and proposed debarment of AWB Limited, and its affiliates from participating in U.S. government programs and contracts ‘because sufficient evidence exists to suspect that they engaged in bribery, kickbacks and similar behavior resulting in payments to the Saddam Hussein regime.’
“The U.S. wheat industry has long been opposed to export state trading enterprises like AWB, and will continue to work to end their distorting influence on world wheat trade. The class action suit just filed focuses on the actions of corporate AWB, not any individual Australian wheat producers who, by trusting AWB, are themselves victims of its heavy-handed tactics. In fact, we welcome competition with our Australian counterparts in an open, fair and transparent market place.
“While U.S. Wheat Associates has been monitoring this situation for more than a year, no organization representing U.S. wheat producers is a party to this class action suit, nor did U.S. Wheat Associates initiate this action. We will continue to follow this issue and inform our members as well as protect and promote the best interests of U.S. wheat producers.”
Wheat producers who want to learn more about or participate in the class action suit should contact Ben Brown with Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., 1100 New York Avenue, N.W., West Tower, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 408-4600, bbrown@cmht.com. A copy of the complaint is posted at www.cmht.com.
# # #"
Isn't it about time Canadian growers filed their own?
"Statement of Leonard Schock, Chairman, U.S. Wheat Associates, regarding the class action lawsuit filed against AWB today:
“A class action lawsuit against the Australian corporation AWB Limited and its U.S. subsidiary AWB (USA) Limited was filed Monday, April 16, on behalf of U.S. hard red winter wheat producers. The suit claims that AWB conspired to maintain and exploit its monopoly on wheat sold in Iraq under the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program. The suit alleges this action resulted in decreased prices at which producers were able to sell their wheat in the United States.
“Last November, a judicial panel commissioned by the Australian government to investigate AWB’s actions in Iraq found sufficient evidence of wrongdoing to warrant criminal investigations of AWB Limited, and 11 of its former executives. In December, the U.S. Department of Agriculture suspended and proposed debarment of AWB Limited, and its affiliates from participating in U.S. government programs and contracts ‘because sufficient evidence exists to suspect that they engaged in bribery, kickbacks and similar behavior resulting in payments to the Saddam Hussein regime.’
“The U.S. wheat industry has long been opposed to export state trading enterprises like AWB, and will continue to work to end their distorting influence on world wheat trade. The class action suit just filed focuses on the actions of corporate AWB, not any individual Australian wheat producers who, by trusting AWB, are themselves victims of its heavy-handed tactics. In fact, we welcome competition with our Australian counterparts in an open, fair and transparent market place.
“While U.S. Wheat Associates has been monitoring this situation for more than a year, no organization representing U.S. wheat producers is a party to this class action suit, nor did U.S. Wheat Associates initiate this action. We will continue to follow this issue and inform our members as well as protect and promote the best interests of U.S. wheat producers.”
Wheat producers who want to learn more about or participate in the class action suit should contact Ben Brown with Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, P.L.L.C., 1100 New York Avenue, N.W., West Tower, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 408-4600, bbrown@cmht.com. A copy of the complaint is posted at www.cmht.com.
# # #"
Isn't it about time Canadian growers filed their own?
Comment