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| French firm accused of being first to label horse as beef | French firm accused of being first to label horse as beef |
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| A meat processing firm in the south of France was named Thursday night as having a central role in the horsemeat lasagne scandal as a convicted Dutch fraudster who supplied the meat admitted close ties with the French firm . | A meat processing firm in the south of France was named Thursday night as having a central role in the horsemeat lasagne scandal as a convicted Dutch fraudster who supplied the meat admitted close ties with the French firm . |
| A French investigation suggested that meat wholesaler Spanghero was implicated in the scandal of ready-made frozen beef meals that contained horse flesh, affecting supermarkets across Europe. | A French investigation suggested that meat wholesaler Spanghero was implicated in the scandal of ready-made frozen beef meals that contained horse flesh, affecting supermarkets across Europe. |
| Benoît Hamon, the French consumer affairs minister, said the inquiry showed that Spanghero was the first "agent" in the food chain to stamp the label beef on horsemeat. The investigation suggested the firm "knew that meat destined for ready meals was horse". | Benoît Hamon, the French consumer affairs minister, said the inquiry showed that Spanghero was the first "agent" in the food chain to stamp the label beef on horsemeat. The investigation suggested the firm "knew that meat destined for ready meals was horse". |
| The French authorities found that Spanghero had profited to the tune of more than €500,000 (£430,000) over six months by marketing the cheap horsemeat as much more expensive beef. | The French authorities found that Spanghero had profited to the tune of more than €500,000 (£430,000) over six months by marketing the cheap horsemeat as much more expensive beef. |
| Evidence also mounted of extensive and long-term collaboration between Spanghero and the Dutch trader, Jan Fasen, whose Cyprus-based company, Draap Trading Ltd, brokered the deal between two Romanian abattoirs and the French company, which last night denied acting improperly. | Evidence also mounted of extensive and long-term collaboration between Spanghero and the Dutch trader, Jan Fasen, whose Cyprus-based company, Draap Trading Ltd, brokered the deal between two Romanian abattoirs and the French company, which last night denied acting improperly. |
| Fasen was convicted last year for selling South American horsemeat as 100% Dutch or German beef and for faking the paperwork. He told the Guardian he had been working with Spanghero for up to seven years, but protested his innocence in the latest case, saying he had clearly labelled the meat as horse. | Fasen was convicted last year for selling South American horsemeat as 100% Dutch or German beef and for faking the paperwork. He told the Guardian he had been working with Spanghero for up to seven years, but protested his innocence in the latest case, saying he had clearly labelled the meat as horse. |
| He said he had also been supplying at least two other French firms with horsemeat purporting to be beef. Asked about his French customers, Fasen said on Thursday: "We are all one big family." | He said he had also been supplying at least two other French firms with horsemeat purporting to be beef. Asked about his French customers, Fasen said on Thursday: "We are all one big family." |
| The owner of the Romanian abattoir where Fasen bought the horsemeat, which was then delivered to Spanghero, added that he had been introduced to the French meat industry executives by Fasen in Paris last year. | The owner of the Romanian abattoir where Fasen bought the horsemeat, which was then delivered to Spanghero, added that he had been introduced to the French meat industry executives by Fasen in Paris last year. |
| Iulian Cazacut told the Guardian that he attended the Paris meat fair last October where Fasen introduced him to executives from Pujol, the large holding company that owns Spanghero. | Iulian Cazacut told the Guardian that he attended the Paris meat fair last October where Fasen introduced him to executives from Pujol, the large holding company that owns Spanghero. |
| "I met the French in October 2012. Draap [Fasen] introduced them to us. We were already working with Draap. They were together there." | "I met the French in October 2012. Draap [Fasen] introduced them to us. We were already working with Draap. They were together there." |
| Spanghero bought 42 tonnes of horsemeat from two Romanian abattoirs via Fasen's Draap Trading Ltd, based in Cyprus – produce that then went to UK supermarket shelves, sold as Findus frozen beef lasagne. | Spanghero bought 42 tonnes of horsemeat from two Romanian abattoirs via Fasen's Draap Trading Ltd, based in Cyprus – produce that then went to UK supermarket shelves, sold as Findus frozen beef lasagne. |
| Fasen vehemently denied any deception. "There has been a terrible crime," he said. "The strange thing is I have nothing to do with it. You have to go to France to see who made the mistakes. It's got a bit hot. But what's happening is just too stupid for words." | Fasen vehemently denied any deception. "There has been a terrible crime," he said. "The strange thing is I have nothing to do with it. You have to go to France to see who made the mistakes. It's got a bit hot. But what's happening is just too stupid for words." |
| Last Monday Spanghero denied it had ever bought or resold horsemeat. But an invoice from last month that emerged on Thursday shows Draap billing the French firm for 18.5 tonnes of horsemeat. The invoice carries the product code for frozen horsemeat used in international transport. | Last Monday Spanghero denied it had ever bought or resold horsemeat. But an invoice from last month that emerged on Thursday shows Draap billing the French firm for 18.5 tonnes of horsemeat. The invoice carries the product code for frozen horsemeat used in international transport. |
| Fasen said the invoice was authentic. The French firm did not deny the authenticity of the invoice but said it was not aware of the code signifying horsemeat. | Fasen said the invoice was authentic. The French firm did not deny the authenticity of the invoice but said it was not aware of the code signifying horsemeat. |
| While the French investigation blaming the French company answered some of the main questions in the immediate scandals, all the evidence indicated a much bigger and deeper abuse of consumer rights across Europe. | While the French investigation blaming the French company answered some of the main questions in the immediate scandals, all the evidence indicated a much bigger and deeper abuse of consumer rights across Europe. |
| The scandal widened to Germany on Thursday with a retail chain discovering mislabelled horsemeat in frozen beef dinners, and the consumer affairs minister describing the debacle as a "unique" case of fraud underpinned by "high criminal energy". | The scandal widened to Germany on Thursday with a retail chain discovering mislabelled horsemeat in frozen beef dinners, and the consumer affairs minister describing the debacle as a "unique" case of fraud underpinned by "high criminal energy". |
| EU governments are expected to agree on Friday to a month of DNA testing of beef and horsemeat, and to put the police agency Europol, based in The Hague, in charge of coordinating criminal inquiries. The French said the scandal had spread to 13 countries and 28 companies, involving a total of 750 tonnes of horsemeat. | EU governments are expected to agree on Friday to a month of DNA testing of beef and horsemeat, and to put the police agency Europol, based in The Hague, in charge of coordinating criminal inquiries. The French said the scandal had spread to 13 countries and 28 companies, involving a total of 750 tonnes of horsemeat. |
| All the signs were that what started as a frozen lasagne scandal is escalating into a pan-European consumer and possibly health debacle. | All the signs were that what started as a frozen lasagne scandal is escalating into a pan-European consumer and possibly health debacle. |
| Fasen was sentenced to nine months a year ago after being found guilty of selling south American horse as 100% Dutch or German halal beef for two years. He is appealing against the verdict and has not been jailed. | Fasen was sentenced to nine months a year ago after being found guilty of selling south American horse as 100% Dutch or German halal beef for two years. He is appealing against the verdict and has not been jailed. |
| Evidence presented at the trial, however, indicated that European consumers had been unwittingly eating horsemeat for much longer than previously thought, with tens of thousands of kilos of horsemeat routinely and fraudulently supplied to French food-processing firms to be turned into frozen "beef" dishes and sold in supermarkets. Between September 2007 and June 2009 Fasen supplied meat to France labelled as top quality halal beef from Holland and Germany. In reality it was horsemeat imported from Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. | Evidence presented at the trial, however, indicated that European consumers had been unwittingly eating horsemeat for much longer than previously thought, with tens of thousands of kilos of horsemeat routinely and fraudulently supplied to French food-processing firms to be turned into frozen "beef" dishes and sold in supermarkets. Between September 2007 and June 2009 Fasen supplied meat to France labelled as top quality halal beef from Holland and Germany. In reality it was horsemeat imported from Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. |
| According to the Dutch judge, Fasen perpetrated the fraud over a long period of time, and in an "wily manner". He forged sales invoices as well as bogus "halal traceability certificates", the judge said. Most of the people duped where Muslim customers. | According to the Dutch judge, Fasen perpetrated the fraud over a long period of time, and in an "wily manner". He forged sales invoices as well as bogus "halal traceability certificates", the judge said. Most of the people duped where Muslim customers. |
| The volumes of meat involved were large. Seven sample charges cover deliveries ranging in size from 26,343kg to 5,206kg, the horsemeat dispatched to two French food processing companies, then to European supermarkets. | The volumes of meat involved were large. Seven sample charges cover deliveries ranging in size from 26,343kg to 5,206kg, the horsemeat dispatched to two French food processing companies, then to European supermarkets. |
| One of the French companies, the Normandy-based Chiron ACVT, confirmed that Fasen had supplied it with a "small quantity of meat" between 2007-09. It said it ceased working with the Dutch trader after two routine bacteriology tests on the meat revealed bacteriological problems. Chiron destroyed the meat and said it wrote to Fasen in May or June 2009 demanding an explanation but never got a reply. It is unclear whether some of the Draap meat was sold to consumers. | One of the French companies, the Normandy-based Chiron ACVT, confirmed that Fasen had supplied it with a "small quantity of meat" between 2007-09. It said it ceased working with the Dutch trader after two routine bacteriology tests on the meat revealed bacteriological problems. Chiron destroyed the meat and said it wrote to Fasen in May or June 2009 demanding an explanation but never got a reply. It is unclear whether some of the Draap meat was sold to consumers. |
| During the trial Fasen's defence lawyer, Rogier Hörchner, alleged that the French firms had been in on the plot from the start and had known the "beef" from Draap was really horse. The companies continued to do business with Fasen, Hörchner said. | During the trial Fasen's defence lawyer, Rogier Hörchner, alleged that the French firms had been in on the plot from the start and had known the "beef" from Draap was really horse. The companies continued to do business with Fasen, Hörchner said. |
| Chiron described the claim as "totally false", adding: "If we had found horsemeat we would have immediately have reported it to authorities." | Chiron described the claim as "totally false", adding: "If we had found horsemeat we would have immediately have reported it to authorities." |
| The trial in the Dutch town of Breda also heard that Fasen was part of a web of middlemen and wholesalers. Three other accomplices also went on trial including a fellow Breda meat trader, Hans Windmeijer. Fasen used Windmeijer as a "straw man", the judge said, to conceal his leading role in the "deception". Windmeijer got community service. | The trial in the Dutch town of Breda also heard that Fasen was part of a web of middlemen and wholesalers. Three other accomplices also went on trial including a fellow Breda meat trader, Hans Windmeijer. Fasen used Windmeijer as a "straw man", the judge said, to conceal his leading role in the "deception". Windmeijer got community service. |
| The Dutch authorities estimated Fasen and his firm Fasen Meat Trading BV, made about €4m from the two-year fraud, carried out with Windmeijer Meat Trading BV. | The Dutch authorities estimated Fasen and his firm Fasen Meat Trading BV, made about €4m from the two-year fraud, carried out with Windmeijer Meat Trading BV. |
| In December 2008 Fasen dissolved Fasen Meat Trading. The same year he founded Draap Trading, registering it in Limassol, Cyprus. Draap is the Dutch word for horse – "Paard" – spelled backwards. The firm's owners use an offshore vehicle in the British Virgin Islands. | In December 2008 Fasen dissolved Fasen Meat Trading. The same year he founded Draap Trading, registering it in Limassol, Cyprus. Draap is the Dutch word for horse – "Paard" – spelled backwards. The firm's owners use an offshore vehicle in the British Virgin Islands. |
| Spanghero has previously said it had no knowledge of Draap, adding that the horsemeat originating from Romania had arrived labelled "Beef, made in EU". | Spanghero has previously said it had no knowledge of Draap, adding that the horsemeat originating from Romania had arrived labelled "Beef, made in EU". |
| In a statement Thursday night, as the French government accused it of fraud, Spanghero insisted it acted properly. "Spanghero confirms having placed an order for beef, having been led to believe to receive beef, and having sold back what they thought was beef, properly labelled as such, in line with European and French regulations." | In a statement Thursday night, as the French government accused it of fraud, Spanghero insisted it acted properly. "Spanghero confirms having placed an order for beef, having been led to believe to receive beef, and having sold back what they thought was beef, properly labelled as such, in line with European and French regulations." |
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