the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
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193 For example, Dr Jan Lourens, a bio engineer who worked at Delta G and<br />
later headed Protechnek, was one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> scientists who applied for amnesty to<br />
<strong>the</strong> TRC after Basson’s arrest. He called <strong>the</strong> claims that Project Coast was a<br />
defensive <strong>program</strong> “nonsense.” He proved to be a particularly effective witness<br />
as he was able to produce some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> “James Bond type” weapons developed<br />
to deliver fatal doses <strong>of</strong> poison applicators (including umbrellas, screw drivers,<br />
signet ring with spring-loaded dose-powder) that had been made to order for<br />
Wouter Basson during his testimony. Lourens was also crucial as a witness<br />
because he testified that SADF chief Gen Kat Liebenberg told him to “forget<br />
about <strong>the</strong> whole thing…” and <strong>the</strong>n told Lourens that “those are my toys…I<br />
want <strong>the</strong>m back.” Instead, he had buried <strong>the</strong>se “toys” at his Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Transvaal<br />
farm and resigned from <strong>the</strong> military. After Basson’s arrest he told his story to<br />
Transvaal attorney general J. d’Oliveira and testified before <strong>the</strong> TRC.<br />
A former senior procurement <strong>of</strong>ficial for Delta-G who worked for <strong>the</strong><br />
company for eight years agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. This <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
proved to be very helpful since he kept a diary <strong>of</strong> contained details about all<br />
products and raw materials that entered <strong>the</strong> facility. The diary also described<br />
several business dealings that he had with Thor Chemicals executive, Alan<br />
Kidger, who was subsequently brutally murdered. This unnamed senior<br />
procurement <strong>of</strong>ficial described Delta-G as "state-<strong>of</strong>-<strong>the</strong>-art” research<br />
laboratories consisting <strong>of</strong> five different facilities and described <strong>the</strong> cell<br />
structures that ensured that nobody really knew what <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r was doing.<br />
194<br />
Michael Evans, “South Africa may have ordered British deaths,” The Times<br />
(14 July 1998), 7.<br />
195 Paraphrase <strong>of</strong> comments made by Dr. Villa-Vicencia, former senior<br />
investigator for TRC during an interview in July 2000.<br />
196 Frontline transcript <strong>of</strong> interview from Plague Wars: A report on <strong>biological</strong><br />
weapons threats and how <strong>the</strong> Soviet Union secretly amassed an arsenal <strong>of</strong> bioweapons.<br />
1998 PBS Online and WBGH/FRONTLINE television show,<br />
http://www. pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/plague/sa/.<br />
197 This figure does not include <strong>the</strong> prosecution cost, those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seven-year<br />
Office for Serious Economic Offenses investigation, or <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> forensic<br />
auditor Hennie Bruwer’s investigation.<br />
198 Information in this section is based on an interview with Laura Polleciett,<br />
Director, Freedom <strong>of</strong> Expression (FIX) and several South African reporters<br />
during July 2000, and on information contained in FIX administrative files.<br />
199 Report on <strong>the</strong> Truth and Reconciliation Commission (“TRC”) Transcript on<br />
South Africa’s Chemical and Biological Warfare. Freedom <strong>of</strong> Expression<br />
Institute, WWBI:\CS\GB\MM\TRCHearings_CBW.doc., 4/1/99.<br />
112