Today
a lawsuit for support of racist apartheid,
tommorow a lawsuit for supporting racist zionism!
British
banks face apartheid lawsuit
From Michael Dynes in Johannesburg
The Times (London)
July 24, 2002
THREE British banks accused of supporting apartheid South Africa
could have to make multimillion-pound payouts, it was claimed yesterday.
Barclays, National Westminster and Standard Chartered would face
substantial claims for compensation unless they made voluntary payments
to compensate the victims of apartheid, Neville Gabriel, the spokesman
for South Africas Apartheid Debt and Reparations Campaign
said.
The legal action will come as a last resort, he said,
unless the banks publicly acknowledge their role in supporting
the apartheid state and agree to make financial compensation.
The three British banks, with up to six Swiss, American and German
financial institutions, are accused of helping to prop up South
Africas white minority Government in 1986 when a shortage
of funds forced it to suspend all payments on its foreign debt.
This was a perfect opportunity to help bring down apartheid
by refusing it further credit, Mr Gabriel said.
The threat of legal action comes after a Manhattan court in June
allowed a $51 billion (£32 billion) case to be brought against
UBS and Credit Suisse, Switzerlands two biggest banks, and
Citicorp Inc, which owns the American-based Citibank. They are accused
of profiting from loans to the white-minority Government while a
United Nations trade embargo against South Africa was in force.
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