TESCO TURTLES - MORE LIES AND COVER-UPS FROM THE HIGH STREET LEADER IN HYPOCRISY

by A. C. Highfield

Tesco seem to like suing people for "libel" and "malicious falsehood". Currently, despite outrage from the National Union of Journalists and other writer's groups such as PEN, the supermarket giant has pursued aggressive legal action against journalists who have written critical articles about the company in Thailand. In a separate action they have pursued the Guardian newspaper in the UK alleging that articles published relating to their tax affairs were  a “devastating attack on its integrity and ethics”.

In the light of Tesco's record of  repeated outright lies to consumers about their activities in China, I have to ask what "integrity" and what "ethics" do you think you have any right to defend? How can a company which tells repeated bare-faced lies to its own customers and those who complain about the most gross abuses possibly have the gall to sue anyone? There is a word for that. The word is hypocrisy.

Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Tesco's executive director of corporate and legal affairs, said: "We support free and open debate about the role and conduct of business so long as that debate is based on fact."

Good. I'm glad she agrees. Here's some more facts.

When consumers (and our members) first began writing to Tesco to complain about the cruelty inflicted on turtles in its Chinese stores Tesco claimed in written replies that the animals were "slaughtered in ways that immediately kill the animals".

This was, of course, totally untrue. It is a lie. This did not stop Tesco continuing to issue hundreds of letters and emails containing this outright fiction. The true facts ,and their grossly deceptive letter, are here.

Eventually, even Tesco had to admit that their own "research" proved that the Tortoise Trust's claims were true and that "hard shelled" turtles could NOT be slaughtered humanely.  Was there ever any kind of apology for the lies they had issued meantime? (Tesco like apologies where "untruths" are concerned, it seems). The answer is "no".  There was never any apology. They allowed that letter to stand, uncorrected.

Now, yet more devastating (Tesco like that word too) truth has emerged revealing just how totally false and hollow the repeated promises and assurances they have given over the treatment of live animals in their Chinese stores really are.

In 12 stores where CWI witnessed slaughter firsthand, staff continued to kill turtles by decapitation alone or by evisceration. CWI also found large numbers of disembowelled turtles with intact heads for sale. When asked, Tesco staff confirmed that turtles are killed through decapitation, and customers requesting advice on home slaughter were told to cut off the turtle’s head and legs.

Shocking images and video of these horrific abuses (which would land Terry Leah and Lucy Neville-Rolf with a likely prison sentence if they were to preside over them in the UK) can be seen at Care for the Wild's website.

Really, it is beyond a joke that these are the people who have the gall to demand qualities such accuracy, honesty and truth from anyone, in any context. How can anyone on the one hand demand (via legal threats) that reporters tell the truth, while presiding over a company that misleads and lies to its own consumers in such a blatant fashion? This is hypocrisy on a breathtaking scale.

I also wonder at the incredulity of investors in Tesco. These investors surely rely upon some honesty from the board, don't they? On this evidence, honesty from Tesco is hardly a forgone conclusion.

Barbara Maas, chief executive of Care for the Wild International, attending their most recent AGM, urged Tesco to stop selling turtles and bullfrogs at its stores in China. She claimed: "Seventy five per cent of turtles in Asia are threatened with extinction." Tesco said it was not aware of the scientific research she was referring to.

That claim is yet again totally untrue. Tesco have been given full details of the research carried out by TRAFFIC scientists and investigators. They have been in possession of this information for almost two years.

Even today, Tesco have the following statement on their website:

"We demand high standards of animal welfare and have livestock codes of practice which cover all aspects of animal husbandry, animal welfare requirements, environmental impact and food safety factors"

Look again at the reports of turtle abuse in Tesco's Chinese stores. Form your own conclusions as to whether Tesco needs to revise its well-known slogan to "Every Lie Helps".