BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph Deters said Thursday he has "no doubt" that money is being spent wisely on the investigation into whether a fired reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer stole voice mail from Chiquita Brands International Inc.
Mr. Deters responded to media questions about special prosecutor Perry Ancona's expenditures on the case, which have reached more than $109,000. That's more than half of the money in a county fund reserved each year for special attorney and court fees. Hamilton County commissioners agreed Wednesday to put an additional $200,000 in the fund.
"When Perry Ancona was appointed, the thinking was he was going to be a thorough and fair prosecutor," Mr. Deters said. "If that is what Perry thinks it is going to take, I have no reason to doubt him."
The special prosecutor was appointed because Mr. Deters had received campaign contributions from Carl H. Lindner, Chiquita chairman and chief executive officer.
"It kills you as a prosecutor to turn over a case like this," he said. "This is the kind of case that could potentially be historical in nature."
Billing records show that Mr. Ancona, who is paid $200 an hour, has received $75,460 in attorney fees. He has hired three assistants at $150 an hour, and they have received $29,526. Investigators, paid $65 an hour, received a total of $4,680.
On May 3, the Enquirer published 18 pages of stories questioning the business practices of Chiquita, the world's largest banana company. On June 28, the newspaper began publishing a three-day apology to the company, saying it had renounced the series and agreed to pay Chiquita more than $10 million to settle claims.
The Enquirer fired Mike Gallagher, the lead reporter on the series, and managers said he may have stolen some 2,000 voice-mail messages that were used in his stories. Chiquita is suing Mr. Gallagher.
