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WIGAND IS ASKED BY MOTLEY ABOUT HOW HE WAS HIRED BY BROWN & WILLIAMSON
MOTLEY QUESTIONS WIGAND ABOUT HIS JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AT BROWN & WILLIAMSON Q. Sir, what did you understand to be your mission as the vice president of research and development for Brown & Williamson when you started work there?
A. Well, there were numerous conversations. During the recruitment process, I believe I had more that six interviews, including interviews from people from PAP [BAT] industries. It was my understanding that my charge was to develop a technical organization which was capable of addressing the issues of smoking in the 1980s and 1990s, and that is build a technical organization. I had specific conversations with BAT representatives, Mr. Alan Heard, which dealt with the development of a safer cigarette.
Q. A safer cigarette?
A. A safer cigarette. Also, at the same time, there were discussions in terms of development of an engineered product.
Q. What is an engineered product, sir?
A. A product similar --
MR. BEZANSON: I object and instruct him not to answer. We are getting into trade secret territory.
MR. MOTLEY:
Q. You can answer, sir.
A. An engineered product is one that is made artificially, not consisting totally of tobacco, much similar to that of which Premier was.
Q. All right, sir. Premier being an R.J. Reynolds product?
A. That's correct.
Q. All right. Now, Doctor, did you communicate, before you were hired, in writing with officials or representatives of Brown & Williamson about the type of activities that you hoped to be able to undertake if employed in the position of vice president of research and development?
A. There were numerous correspondence going back and forth. I don't think I ever used the word "safer cigarette" in the correspondence, but I clearly understood that from these conversations with Earl Kohnhorst, Mr. Sandefur, Mr. Heard. And I also, at the same time in the interview process, also suggested that a formation of a medical scientific advisory committee could be part of that process of developing a safer cigarette.
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