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U.S. diplomatic cables made public by WikiLeaks show that drugmaker Pfizer hired investigators to find evidence of corruption against Nigeria's attorney general, in an effort to convince him to drop legal action against the company.
Pfizer was sued for $2 billion over testing of the meningitis drug Trovan. Nigerian authorities said the tests killed 11 children and left dozens disabled. Pfizer eventually agreed to a $75 million settlement.
Reuters reports:
"... [A] memo leaked by WikiLeaks referenced a meeting between Pfizer's country manager, Enrico Liggeri, and U.S. officials suggesting the drug company did not want to pay to settle two cases brought by Nigeria's federal government ... Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to federal Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa ... Pfizer's investigators were passing this information to local media."
A series of damaging articles detailing Aondoakaa's alleged corruption ties were published by local news agencies subsequent to the meeting.