I have been crucified

0 Comments | Sunday Mirror, Feb 21, 1999 | by Alan Rimmer

ROM the moment he entered the room, the man who had started it all realised that he was damned.

Dr Arpad Pusztai knew the people around the table were there for only one reason - to effectively end his life's work.

Sitting stern-faced opposite him was Professor Phillip James, Director of the Rowett Institute in Aberdeen, where Dr Pusztai had worked for 37 years. To his left, the personnel manager. On the right, a lawyer.

Even Dr Pusztai's wife Susan, herself a scientist at the institute, was called in to witness the last rites.

These were performed by Prof James, who handed 68- year-old Dr Pusztai a Press statement.

It stated: "This morning the Director suspended Dr Pusztai... and he will now retire from the Institute."\

The career of the renowned geneticist - author of 270 research papers and two ground-breaking books - was over.

And all because he had dared to speak publicly of his concerns about physical defects in rats that had been fed on genetically- modified potatoes.

Those views, aired on prime-time TV seven months ago, caused a storm which reached a crescendo last week after 24 scientists from 11 countries supported Dr Pusztai's research - which followed a three- year, pounds 1.6 million study.

Science Minister Lord Sainsbury and Cabinet enforcer Jack Cunningham both faced calls for them to quit after they were linked to "Frankenstein food" firms.

And Prime Minister Tony Blair, who initially said he would eat GM foods, ordered ministers to postpone the first commercial planting of GM crops for at least a year .

Dr Pusztai admits to being frightened, lonely and embittered by what happened. He said: "I have been crucified over this.

"My life is my work and it has all been destroyed. I know that a lot of people want to silence me. After all, there is an awful lot of money involved. But what have I done? I spoke the truth, that is all.

"For that I have been vilified and scorned."

Then, with his voice shaking with emotion, he told of the bleak days that followed his suspension from the Rowett Institute.

"I was suspended for 12 days and then returned to the Rowett to finish off the rest of my year's contract," he said. "When I got to my laboratory I found the computers sealed, the desks locked and all my papers taken away. Worse, no one was speaking to me. All my former colleagues acted as though I didn't exist.

"When I went into the coffee room they would turn their backs on me. It was terrible."

"I tell you this, I had more rights in Communist Hungary where I come from.

"I had the right to say things there. The authorities may not have liked it, but I still had the right. But here, at the Rowett it is different. They said they would take me to court if I spoke about my findings.

"The Rowett Institute has acted like a dictatorship."

His wife then passed him two tablets for his high blood pressure, muttering, "He has been under so much pressure."

"That's it, the pressure has been tremendous," agreed Dr Pusztai. I really don't understand how all this came about. I was the Rowett's most senior scientist, yet I am no longer a member."

His small, wizened face became animated as he spoke of the experiments which started the row.

"I have been accused of muddled thinking and sloppy science," he said. "They said my results were based on just one experiment with five rats being fed the genetically-modified potatoes. But this is just not true. My findings came as a result of many experiments.

"I have been accused of lacing the potatoes with very high doses of the GM material. But again, that is just not true. All the rats had a balanced diet."

He added: "How can they say I am muddled? I am the expert in the field. The Rowett got the contract from the Scottish Office because of our expertise. We beat off competition from 27 other companies.

"I stand by my findings and I feel very bitter about the way I have been treated.

"The fact is I would not eat a genetically-modified potato. If that upsets people, then so be it."

Professor Phillip James of the Rowett said: "Dr Pusz'tai gave me all sorts of answers which just didn't make sense. In the end I felt sorry for him. But I had no choice but to suspend him.

"I have the greatest respect for Arpad as a scientist, but in this case unfortunately I felt he had just got it wrong."

Professor James added: "When I heard he had been sent to Coventry I called everyone to my office and gave them a ticking off.

"I told them Arpad was an extremely honourable man and he deserved respect and support."

Interviews by ALAN RIMMER