Court dismisses US government's 280-billion-dollar tobacco suit

WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (AFP) - An appeals court Friday rejected a US government lawsuit seeking 280 billion dollars from the tobacco industry, which alleged that cigarette makers plotted to cover up the risks of smoking, court documents showed.
The 2-1 decision by a panel found that the case, which sought to recover government health care costs, cannot be brought under federal racketeering laws.
The suit was initially filed in 1999 by the US government against the major tobacco companies, claiming they engaged in a fraudulent pattern of covering up the dangers of tobacco use and marketing to minors.
Defendants included Philip Morris USA; RJ Reynolds Tobacco; Loews Corp's Lorillard Tobacco; Brown and Williamson, which is part of British American Tobacco PLC; and the Vector Group's Liggett Group.

02/04/2005 19:54 GMT - AFP