ALCOHOL INVESTIGATION REPORT NO: 2

(Counterfeited/Imitated French Alcohol Sales in Abuja, Nigeria)

Presented to:

KRAUSER, J. F. C2S, Paris, France.Investigation Days: March 28, 2011 to April 1, 2011

Investigators:ILESANMI, Samson Babatunde,

El-Yah-Agla Nigeria Limited,Suite 2, Number 177 Lagos Road, Sawmill, P. O. Box 5093, GPO, ILORIN, Kwara

state, NigeriaGSM: +234-70-60451145; +234-80-53666185

E-mail: ehpsafeworld@yahoo.comURL: http://eynl.yolasite.com

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY• Follow-up to earlier field investigations conducted by Mr. Samson Babatunde

Ilesanmi and his crew between March 10, 2011 & March 26, 2011;• Another round of field investigations were conducted by the duo of Mr.

Krauser, Jean-Francois & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi between March 28, 2011 & April 1, 2011 in Abuja;

• Some counterfeit products such as:• (i) “Moet & Chandon” French Champagne, (more particularly the “Pink Nectar”;• (ii) “Veuve Cliquot” French Champagne;• (iii) “Hennessy” VS and VSOP, French cognacs; were purchased & tasted;• Several meetings were held with the Nigerian Hon. Minister of State for

Commerce & Industry, officials of the Ministry of State for Commerce & Industry, officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi on the discovery of the counterfeit products in Abuja;

• The Hon. Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, officials of the Ministry of State for Commerce & Industry, officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi jointly requested for an enduring mutually beneficial collaboration between them & Moet Hennessy, a member of the LVMH Group & manufacturers of the products;

• The Hon. Minister of State for Commerce & Industry promptly issued a letter addressed to Mr. Krauser, Jean-Francois, to approve in principle the much desired collaboration.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• SN ITEM PAGE NUBMER

• 1 Executive Summary 2;• 2 Field Investigations 4;• 3 Field Observations 5;• 4 Meetings with Minister, SON & CPC 6;• 5 Objectives of Collaboration 7;• 6 Quotable quotes 8;• 7 Conclusion 9.

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FIELD INVESTIGATIONS

• The maps of Abuja & Lagos were procured;• It was discovered that counterfeit products of:• (i) “Moet & Chandon” French Champagne, (more

particularly the “Pink Nectar”;• (ii) “Veuve Cliquot” French Champagne;• (iii) “Hennessy” VS and VSOP, French cognacs;

were everywhere in Abuja;• Some of the counterfeit products were bought or

tasted to ascertain their quality;• The cognac products bought & tasted by Mr.

Krauser, Jean-Francois at the Silverbird bar in Abuja tasted very poorly – they were counterfeit products.

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FIELD OBSERVATIONS• Counterfeit products such as:• (i) “Moet & Chandon” French Champagne, (more particularly

the “Pink Nectar”;• (ii) “Veuve Cliquot” French Champagne;• (iii) “Hennessy” VS and VSOP, French cognacs; were

conspicuously displayed for sale in all the visited markets, shops, supermarkets, hotels & club bars in Abuja. This corroborates the Observations in Report No:1;

• A carton full of bottles of counterfeit Veuve Cliquot” French Champagne was sighted at a warehouse at the Garki International Market;

• Several pieces of a cognac product marked “Nigeria’s 50 Golden Jubilee Hennessy” were displayed for sale at the Exclusive Supermarket, Maitama, Abuja;

• Some samples of suspected counterfeit products were bought;

• Some contacts of the wholesalers & retailers of counterfeit Moet Hennessy products were obtained;

• It was noted that counterfeit Moet Hennessy products might contain medically injurious chemicals like methanol & germs.

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Meetings with Minister, SON & CPC• Mr. Krauser, Jean-Francois & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi had meetings with the

Hon. Minister of State, Commerce & Industry, Ms. Josephine Yenoe Tapgun, officials of the Ministry & officials of the Centre for Automotive Design & Development & Industrial Training Fund in her office on Tuesday March 29, 2011 & Wednesday March 30, 2011;

• Mr. Krauser, Jean-Francois & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi also had meetings with the Hon. Minister of State, Commerce & Industry, Ms. Josephine Yenoe Tapgun, officials of the Ministry & officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria & Consumer Protection Council in the Hon. Minister of State’s office on Wednesday March 30, 2011;

• Mr. Krauser, Jean-Francois, Mr. Hyacinth, the Hon. Minister’s Personal Assistant & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi also had a meeting with the Director-General of Standards Organization of Nigeria in his office on Friday April 1, 2011;

• Discussions in all the meetings were focused on the syndication of a mutually beneficial collaboration between the management of Moet Hennessy, the office of the Hon. Minister of State, as well as, two parastatals of the Ministry namely:

• Standards Organization of Nigeria (www.sononline.org email: info@sononline.org) & Consumer Protection Council (www.cpc.gov.ng email: cpcnigeria@yahoo.co.uk);

• It was agreed that the Hon. Minister of State & her entourage should be invited to France as soon as possible by the management of Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group;

• It was also agreed that the Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group should commission counterfeit control training workshops for officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council, Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi & his crew of investigators.

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Objectives of Proposed Collaboration• To protect all Moet Hennessy products throughout Nigerian in such a way

as to mopping-up all Moet Hennessy products from everywhere they are warehoused or displayed for sale in Nigeria;

• To enter into a formal agreement with the Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group for this purpose;

• To get the Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group to commission counterfeit control training workshops in France for officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council, Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi & his crew of investigators, so as to get them fully acquainted with the best scientific Moet Hennessy counterfeit products physical detection & field spot quality ascertainment test skills;

• To provide the officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council, Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi & his crew of investigators with all the requisite technical support & Moet Hennessy counterfeit products physical detection & field spot quality ascertainment test technologies & kits, which shall include, but not restricted to; secret cameras & field test & assay kits;

• To conduct regular counterfeit control training workshops for officials of Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council, Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi & his crew of investigators in France & Nigeria.

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Quotable quotes• The Director-General of the Standards Organization of

Nigeria was quoted as saying thus: “There is no doubt about the fact that 100 folds of counterfeit Moet Hennessy products shall be found in each of Lagos, Port Harcourt & Aba, as compared with a bottle of the product found in Abuja”. Therefore he recommended that the investigations carried out in Abuja should be replicated in Lagos, Port Harcourt & Aba;

• The Director-General of the Standards Organization of Nigeria was quoted as saying thus: “One Bishop Okonkwo is a major importer of Moet Hennessy products into Nigeria”;

• The Director-General of the Standards Organization of Nigeria was quoted as saying thus: “Most of the Moet Hennessy products that he tasted recently tasted very poorly & he kept wondering whether standards have been compromised”.

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CONCLUSION• Field investigations conducted by Mr. Krauser, Jean-Francois & Mr.

Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi between March 28, 2011 & April 1, 2011 in Abuja vehemently confirmed that counterfeit Moet Hennessy products such as:

• (i) “Moet & Chandon” French Champagne, (more particularly the “Pink Nectar”;

• (ii) “Veuve Cliquot” French Champagne;• (iii) “Hennessy” VS and VSOP, French cognacs; abound in Abuja;• Comments by the Director-General of the Standards Organization of

Nigeria strongly necessitate the repeat of the investigations carried out in Abuja in Lagos, Port Harcourt & Aba as quickly as possible;

• The fact that the Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group cannot directly protect their products in Nigeria, conduct counterfeit products direct surveillance & the need to get the Nigerian authorities to destroy all Moet Hennessy products & prosecute counterfeit products producers, warehouse owners, wholesalers & retailers, calls for the Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group to enter an enduring collaboration with the office of the Hon. Minister of State for Commerce & Industry, Standards Organization of Nigeria, Consumer Protection Council & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi, for the sole purpose of the protection of all Moet Hennessy products in Nigeria, with the very active supervision of Mr. Krauser, Jean-Francois & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi;

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CONCLUSION CONTINUED• Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group should therefore not

hesitate to invite the Hon. Minister of State Ms. Josephine Yenoe Tapgun, her Personal Assistant & Mr. Samson Babatunde Ilesanmi to France as soon as possible to kick-start the process of protecting all Moet Hennessy products in Nigeria;

• Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group should enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Commerce & Industry during the proposed visit;

• Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group should without hesitation commission the repeat of the field investigations in Lagos, Port Harcourt & Aba in Nigeria & in Cotounou in Benin Republic;

• Moet Hennessy or the LVMH Group should confirm whether Bishop Okonkwo is an authentic importer of Moet Hennessy products into Nigeria

• It was resolved that positive results must accrue from these concerted efforts before May 29, 2011.