2007年VOA标准英语-Pfizer Faces Criminal Charges in Nigeria Over D

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
25 July 2007

Nigerian government lawyers have filed criminal charges against the American drug firm Pfizer.  The lawyers accuse Pfizer of carrying out illegal tests of drugs in Nigeria.  Gilbert da Costa has more for VOA in this report from Abuja.

epidemic1 experimental drug and now suffering brain damage in Kano, Nigeria, 19 July 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070728/1047040.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Zubairu Shaba shows a picture of one of his kids who was tested with the meningitis epidemic experimental drug and now suffers brain damage in Kano, 19 July 2007

Nigeria has accused Pfizer of criminal misconduct in the trials of a meningitis drug in the northern city of Kano in 1996.

At the time, there was a meningitis epidemic in the city and the government accuses Pfizer of taking advantage of the epidemic to test an experimental drug without the authorization² or full understanding of the families tested.  Pfizer denies wrongdoing, but the government says the company's tests contributed to the deaths of some of the children and made others sick.

"The government believes there have been violations³ of law which constitute criminal offenses⁴, and that's the basis of the criminal charges," said Babatunde Irukela, lead counsel for the Nigerian government. "There are 23 counts of them revolving⁵ around conduct before, through and after the clinical trials that occurred in Kano in 1996."

An undisclosed number of Pfizer officials in Nigeria are due to be formally charged when the case begins October 29.  Irukela says the accused persons could face jail if convicted.

"The penalties are different. In some cases there are several months of imprisonment⁶ or a fine, in some of them it is up to nine years imprisonment and all kinds of different things," he added.

The New York-based drug company is also facing a multi-billion-dollar civil lawsuit⁷ by the Nigerian government over the disputed trials.  The Nigerian government Wednesday re-filed the necessary court papers to permit the resumption of civil proceedings⁸.

Pfizer maintains that it had approval for the drug trial, which it says helped to save lives.

1 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

2 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

3 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

4 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

5 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

6 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

7 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

8 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼