We write to you concerning a matter of great concern. Our organisations have recently been shocked by discovering that a person we believed was a dedicated citizen working for environmental and social justice was in fact selling (partly false) information to companies in several European countries. We write to you because this person might also have approached your company and because this case has serious general implications.
The person we knew as Adrian Frank from the French environmental citizens group EcoAction has for at least 1 1/2 years under the names Adrian Lechene and Adrian Mayer been actively contacting companies, particularly in the oil and arms industry. He has offered these companies information about the activities of environment and peace organisations in different European countries, asking significant amounts of money in return for his services.
Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer has for these activities made use of his ‘company’ Risk Crisis Analysis, registered in France and in the UK.
We consider these spionage practices and the fact that companies were willing to use the services offered by Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer to be highly disturbing. We are particularly worried because we know that the information provided by Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer was largely false.
According to our information, Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer told his potential clients that activist groups were planning to attack their company and that staff and their families were in danger. He claimed that the organisations he sold information about, including our organisations, were violent and dangerous. This is far from the reality. While we are dedicated to challenging social and environmental misbehavior by corporations, our organisations all follow a strict policy of non-violence. It is clear that the motives of Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer for this harmful and dangerous disinformation have been mainly commercial ones.
We are seriously disturbed to know that certain companies engage in partnerships with people like Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer. We hope your company is not one of them. We would be happy to hear if you have been approached by Mr. Frank/Lechene/Mayer and what your reaction has been.
Your reaction will be highly appreciated.
A SEED Europe
Corporate Watch
Earth First
ENAAT
Oilwatch