COURT VACATES LIBEL AWARD IN MOBIL CASE
A U.S. appeals court threw out a two
mln dlr libel award against The Washington Post for an article
that said former Mobil Corp president William Tavoulareas set
up his son in a shipping firm that did business with Mobil.
    The article said Tavoulareas had used his influence to set
up his son, Peter, in 1974 as a partner in the London-based
Atlas Maritime Co, a shipping company whose business included a
multi-million dollar contract with Mobil.
    "We are convinced that ... the 'set up' allegation was
substantially true," the appeals court said in the 7-1 ruling.
    The Tavoulareases said the 1979 article by the Post's
investigative reporter, Patrick Tyler, was false and that it
embarrassed them and held them up to ridicule.
 Reuter
