Documentary claims Nestle spied on anti-globalisation group

Posted June 16, 2008 in [Corporations]

June 13, 2008, Agence France Presse - A documentary aired by francophone Swiss television station TSR has accused global food giant Nestle of having sent a spy to infiltrate an anti-globalisation group for one year.

Broadcast on Thursday night, the programme alleged that Swiss group Nestle hired Swiss security specialist Securitas to spy on seven members of the Attac movement which wrote a negative report on the multinational in 2004.

According to the journalists' documentary, Securitas sent a woman to pass herself as an anti-globalisation activist and participate in drawing up the damning report.

At the same time, the woman allegedly relayed information on the activists back to Securitas, which in turn informed Nestle on their activities in March 2004.

On camera, Securitas would neither confirm nor deny the allegations, but acknowledged it carries out investigative missions for private companies.

Police in Vaud canton, also interviewed in the documentary, admitted that they were aware that Securitas had infiltrated the anti-globilisation milieu but declined to give further details.

"We were involved in a particular situation," police spokesman Jean-Christophe Sauterel said, referring to the organisation of the G8 summit in Evian in 2003 during which Swiss authorities used some non-traditional security measures.

In reaction to the documentary, Nestle said it "does not comment on its measures of security".

When demonstrations were announced against business meetings taking place as part of the G8 Summit in 2003, "Nestle took the appropriate measures, in close collaboration with Securitas... in the strictest respect of the law", the firm said in a statement.

The seven members of Attac, who Nestle is alleged to have spied on, announced on Friday they will take legal action against the food manufacturer claiming it had violated their private lives and protection of information.

"Nestle's eye was in my home," Attac founder, Isabelle Paccaud, told AFP.

"They had access to all our contacts, to all our email conversations."