Chiquita Brands International was charged Wednesday for making payments to a right-wing Colombian paramilitary group on the official US list of terrorist organizations.
Ohio-based Chiquita allegedly paid 1.7 million dollars between 1997-2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) in exchange for its protection in the banana-producing areas of Uraba and Santa Marta, Colombia, court documents showed.
In the past the company made payments to leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN), US prosecutors say.
The payments to the AUC, which began after a meeting in 1997, were approved by senior Chiquita officials and hidden in the company's accounts, the documents said.
As of September 2000, senior Chiquita officials knew the company was paying the AUC and that the AUC was a violent paramilitary organization, prosecutors said. The company was charged with engaging in transactions with a specially designated global terrorist.
The AUC was put on the US list of terrorist groups in 2001.
But Chiquita continued to pay the AUC.
In February 2003 a company lawyer clearly stated to officials that the payments were illegal and should stop.
In April 2003, officials and lawyers with the fruit giant spoke with the US Justice Department and indicated to prosecutors that payments were made. But that did not stop Chiquita from continuing to make such payments for several more months.
