Not enough evidence for prosecution of dunhill

Buisiness Day, South Africa, 20 February 2004

The organisers of the annual dunhill golf tournament will not be prosecuted under tobacco control legislation, police say.

Anti-smoking pressure group the Tobacco Control Board laid charges in March last year against championship organisers Sunshine Tour, as well as against Houghton Golf Club president Gary Buskin and dunhill cigarettes manufacturer British American Tobacco.

The board claimed the event contravened the statutory ban on tobacco sponsorship and advertising, and was a classic example of "brand-stretching", the use of nontobacco commercial activities to promote a tobacco brand.

However, police spokeswoman for Johannesburg , Capt Mashadi Selepe, said the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions would not prosecute "due to insufficient evidence".

British American Tobacco SA says there is no link between the Alfred Dunhill luxury goods, which are behind the golf event, and its dunhill brand of cigarettes.

Alfred Dunhill is owned by Swiss-based multinational Richemont, two of whose directors are also BAT board members.

Selepe also said police were conducting an internal probe into the board's complaint over delays in finalising the case.

Board spokesman Ken Sheppard said he was "astonished" at the decision not to prosecute, and that the board would press to have the case reopened.

Other countries have had varying degrees of success in fighting brand-stretching.