The episode aired on 30 November and alleged that the tobacco conglomerate had made illegal payments to politicians and civil servants in countries in East Africa. The BBC claims the bribery came to light when a whistleblower shared hundreds of secret documents with the editorial team.
Vendetta
A BAT spokesperson said: 'We are disappointed that the BBC has broadcast historic allegations from 2012 made by rogue former employees whose employment was terminated in acrimonious circumstances and who have a clear vendetta against us.’
Handled in-house
The BBC said its in-house legal team, led by group general counsel Sarah Jones, handled all legal issues relating to the Panorama episode without instructing external counsel. Sources: Legal Business; Legal Week
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