"When we terminated our work with Oakbay, we said we were doing so because of increasingly strong social media attacks on our staff and our business from South Africa, and that we regarded the criticisms of what our team had done as unfair. These attacks on, and criticisms of, our staff continued and were clearly the result of strong and sincere anger. Most seriously, it was said that we had supported or aided campaigns to stir up racial division in South Africa," he writes.
It is because of this that the company called in independent, international law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, to review the account and the work done on it. The investigation is still continuing and will be completed in the next few weeks but Bell Pottinger intends to publish the findings of the report and take appropriate action.
Henderson also states that although the inquiry is ongoing, they have dismissed the lead partner involved and suspended another partner and two employees so that they can determine their precise role in what took place. He claims that the company acted immediately as soon as they were made aware that they had been misled and that work was being done which goes against the very core of their ethical policies.
"We wish to issue a full, unequivocal and absolute apology to anyone impacted. These activities should never have been undertaken. We are deeply sorry that this happened," Henderson concludes.
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