This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46951855
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Horsemeat scandal: Trial of firms accused of selling horse as beef opens in Paris | Horsemeat scandal: Trial of firms accused of selling horse as beef opens in Paris |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Four people have gone on trial in Paris over the 2013 horsemeat scandal in Europe. | |
| Two former managers of French meat-processing firm Spanghero are accused, along with two Dutch meat traders. | Two former managers of French meat-processing firm Spanghero are accused, along with two Dutch meat traders. |
| They are accused of using cheap horsemeat in beef products that were sold across Europe. | They are accused of using cheap horsemeat in beef products that were sold across Europe. |
| One Frenchman denies knowing he was being sold horse, Reuters news agency reports, but one of the traders says he knew what he was buying. | |
| It was not immediately clear how the other defendants would plead. | It was not immediately clear how the other defendants would plead. |
| Millions of meals were withdrawn from supermarket shelves after they were found to contain horse instead of beef. | Millions of meals were withdrawn from supermarket shelves after they were found to contain horse instead of beef. |
| The Irish authorities found in early 2013 that horsemeat had been used in frozen burgers labelled as "pure beef". | The Irish authorities found in early 2013 that horsemeat had been used in frozen burgers labelled as "pure beef". |
| The four men are accused of helping organise the sale of more than 500 tonnes of horsemeat in 2012-2013 to a subsidiary of Comigel, a French company whose frozen meals were sold in more than a dozen European countries. | The four men are accused of helping organise the sale of more than 500 tonnes of horsemeat in 2012-2013 to a subsidiary of Comigel, a French company whose frozen meals were sold in more than a dozen European countries. |
| Spanghero is also accused of selling more than 200 tonnes of horsemeat mainly in the form of beef merguez sausages. | Spanghero is also accused of selling more than 200 tonnes of horsemeat mainly in the form of beef merguez sausages. |
| Investigations at the time found that horsemeat had originated from Romanian abattoirs via two companies based in Cyprus and the Netherlands. | Investigations at the time found that horsemeat had originated from Romanian abattoirs via two companies based in Cyprus and the Netherlands. |
| It was then labelled incorrectly as beef. Spanghero and the Dutch middlemen are accused of pocketing the resulting profits. | It was then labelled incorrectly as beef. Spanghero and the Dutch middlemen are accused of pocketing the resulting profits. |
| The accused, who include Spanghero's former managing director, Jacques Poujol, as well as the manager of its factory, Patrice Monguillon, face a range of serious fraud charges. | The accused, who include Spanghero's former managing director, Jacques Poujol, as well as the manager of its factory, Patrice Monguillon, face a range of serious fraud charges. |
| Mr Poujol's lawyer says his client did not know he was being sold horsemeat. | Mr Poujol's lawyer says his client did not know he was being sold horsemeat. |
| But the defence for meat trader Johannes Fasen, who is on trial with fellow trader Hendricus Windmeijer, argues he was openly selling horsemeat. | But the defence for meat trader Johannes Fasen, who is on trial with fellow trader Hendricus Windmeijer, argues he was openly selling horsemeat. |
| "My client sold the horsemeat to Mr Poujol because he ordered horsemeat. He sold the horsemeat to Poujol at horsemeat price and Spanghero sold it on as beef at 1.50 euros a kilo more," the lawyer is quoted as saying by Reuters. | "My client sold the horsemeat to Mr Poujol because he ordered horsemeat. He sold the horsemeat to Poujol at horsemeat price and Spanghero sold it on as beef at 1.50 euros a kilo more," the lawyer is quoted as saying by Reuters. |
| The four men face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of €1m (£900,000). | The four men face up to 10 years in jail and a fine of €1m (£900,000). |
| The trial is expected to run until mid-February. | The trial is expected to run until mid-February. |
| Meat scandal timeline | Meat scandal timeline |