During its quarterly analyst call last week, the fruit producer said it was under investigation for making protection payments to Colombian groups listed by the U.S. government as terrorist organisations.

The U.S. Department of Justice said recently it was evaluating the role and conduct of the company and some of its officers in a matter involving Chiquita’s banana subsidiary in Colombia.

Chiquita’s management and audit committee voluntarily disclosed the payments to the Justice Department in April 2003, saying it had been forced to make the payments to protect its employees in Colombia.

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