Look who cries foul?

Videotapes Peta, USA

Covance Inc, a us- based pharmaceutical testing firm, has filed a suit against the international animal rights group, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (peta), charging it with fraud and conspiracy for illegally videotaping animals in the firm's factory in Vienna, Virginia. A Covance representative said an agent for peta misrepresented herself to get hired by Covance and then violated her employee contract when she videotaped the firm's factory. In May 2005, peta disclosed videotapes of its year-long "undercover investigation" into Covance, accusing the company of choking animals and several other acts it said were violations of the federal animal welfare law.

peta did acknowledge Covance's charge but said they did nothing illegal. "We wouldn't get very far if our representatives said, 'Hi, I work for peta ,'" said peta 's director of research Mary Beth Sweetland. "No one is going to strike a monkey in front of peta," she riled.