Tesco accused of gagging media by libel claims
THE NUJ is calling on members to write to the Tesco supermarket giant to condemn libel actions it is bringing against journalists who have written critical articles about the company.
Tesco has issued a libel and malicious falsehood writ against The Guardian in London, following an article about its tax practices. And its wholly owned subsidiary in Thailand is bringing an extraordinary action against two journalists over articles on the effects of its rapid expansion there on the local economy.
Tesco Lotus has 370 Thai stores and is planning 130 more. A former MP, a business journalist and a newspaper section editor are facing prison sentences and having to pay an astounding £18 million in damages for criticising the supermarket’s expansion plans.
General Secretary Jeremy Dear, who met the business journalist concerned in London, said: “Tesco’s bid to silence its critics should be vigorously opposed by all those who believe in freedom of expression. The chilling effect of such actions would be to deny the public the right to know about the practices of major corporations.”
The business journalist Kamol Kamoltrakul, a columnist for the paper Krungthep Turakij (Business News), was first to be sued over an article headlined “Retailing Act —too little too late”. He writes on business for several newspapers and is a government adviser on banking and finance and visiting lecturer at three universities.
In April he was in London in April to receive a press freedom award from Index on Censorship, and met NUJ leaders who pledged the union’s support.
After being served with the writs he wrote another article about the case which the paper declined to publish. But then Krungthep Turakij’s marketing news editor was also sued for the damage allegedly caused to Tesco’s reputation and business.
Tesco said the cases had “nothing to do with restricting free speech and it would be deeply misleading to suggest they do. Tesco Lotus has been seriously defamed in a sustained and malicious campaign over a number of months.
“We have been left no option other than to take legal action.”