Attorneys: Company responsible for slaying of Texas accountants

Posted: Wednesday, December 08, 1999

HOUSTON (AP) - Four Texas accountants shot to death in Pakistan were tossed into the midst of seething anti-American sentiment by a negligent oil company, attorneys told a jury Tuesday.

Tracy Ritchie, 41; Joel Enlow, 40; Larry Jennings, 49; and Ephraim Egbu, 42; were ambushed and assassinated on a roadway in Karachi, Pakistan, two years ago.

Their families, saying Union Texas Petroleum knowingly sent the businessmen into a perilous political climate, are suing the energy company.

The jury, which must decide damages if it finds Houston-based Union Texas was negligent, heard opening arguments from both sides Tuesday. The civil trial before State District Judge Jane Bland is expected to take about two weeks.

Union Texas ignored U.S. State Department warnings against travel to the Middle Eastern country, lawyers for the families argued.

Oil company attorneys said the company took some precautions but couldn't foresee the slayings.

The four auditors were shot to death just two days after Pakistani national Mir Aimanl Kansi was convicted for killing two people outside the CIA headquarters in Virginia. Anticipating a backlash against Americans, the State Department warned against visiting Pakistan.

But in a company memo shown to jurors Tuesday, Union Texas managers said the threat described by the government "does not exist and is in fact significantly overplayed."

"(Union Texas) substituted their judgment for that of the U.S. government," said Kevin Krist, one of the attorneys for the accountants.