Michel Garreta

Passions

Vocation

French business executive, a Director of the C.N.T.S. (Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine) who was involved in the contaminated blood scandal. On 6/20/1983, an official report recommended that homosexuals, bisexuals, drug users and prisoners be removed from the list of potential blood donors, a process already applied in Great Britain since 1982. Not only was the report ignored, but as of January 1984, French government officials encouraged the blood bank units to get more blood from prisoners. In July 1984, Garreta refused a proposition made by the Immuno laboratory to introduce a scheme to heat blood, a process which destroys the HIV virus. In September 1984, Garreta became director of the C.N.T.S. In January 1985, he and his associates dismissed as fake, a study released by doctors Pinon and Leibowitch, showing that out of 2,000 samples coming from the Paris welfare department, 0,5 percent of the donors where positive. In 1985, a batch of blood in the blood-bank was contaminated with the AIDS virus, and two young boys died of AIDS as a result. On 10/23/1992, Garreta was found guilty of having sold a product with intent to mislead, and sentenced to prison. On 10/28/1992, Garreta, who was in the U.S. when the verdict was pronounced, came back to France where he was arrested and sent to jail. He was given two consecutive four-year terms without parole. ROUX, Jean Jacques : Born January 6, 1923, at 11 pm (UT), in Fargues sur Ourbise (France), 44N18, 00E17. Bacteriologist-virologist since 1962. General director of La Santé (1981-1985). Sentenced to 4 years , suspended sentence. NETTER, Robert : Born January 3, 1927, at 2 pm (UT), in Epernay (France), 49N02, 03E58. Biologist. Director (1967-78), General director 1978-89) of the Laboratoire National de la Santé. Not guilty verdict. DUFOIX, Georgina : Born February 16, 1943, at 8.30 am (07 :30 UT), in Paris (France),48N50, 02E20. Social Affairs Minister (1984-86). Hervé’s superior, she was charged with manslaughter and "attacking the physical integrity of others", also accused of a delay in making available imported - and costly - heated blood products, and of negligence in the screening of blood donors. Acquitted on March 9, 1999. NOTE : PLEASE REMOVE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE : The following where declared responsible but not guilty. I don't know why Patrice wrote that since it does not apply to verdicts per se, but was something Georgina Dufoix said at one point during her trial... FABIUS, Laurent : Born August 20, 1946, at 9 am (08 :00 UT), in Paris (France), 48N50,02E20. Prime minister (1984-86). charged in connection with the AIDS deaths of five people and the contamination of two others during a key period in 1985, accused of a strategy of favoritism that delayed systematic testing for AIDS, waiting for development of a French-made test when an American one was available months earlier, charged with manslaughter and "attacking the physical integrity of others", acquitted on March 9, 1999. HERVE, Edmond : Born December 3, 1942, 1.30 am (00 :30 UT), in Bouillie (France),48N36, 02W17. Secretary of state in charge of Health. Hervé, the lowest-ranked of the defendants, was accused by an investigating commission of "strangely apathetic behavior," which led to keeping unsterilized blood products in stock after it was known they could be contaminated, also accused of a delay in making available imported - and costly - heated blood products, and of negligence in the screening of blood donors. Although convicted on all counts on March 9, 1999, he was given no penalty despite his conviction. Link to Wikipedia biography (French)