"The chairman of agribusiness giant Monsanto demanded Monday that his counterpart at DuPont -- his firm's leading competitor in the seed business -- appoint a special committee to investigate what he said was a pattern of covert attacks on Monsanto's business practices by DuPont.

Hugh Grant, chairman of Monsanto Co., accused DuPont of using third parties to attack Monsanto, activities which he said 'were misleading to the public and a serious breach of business ethics far beyond honest competitor behavior.'

He made the request for an investigation by a committee of DuPont's independent directors in a letter to Charles O. Holliday Jr., chairman of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.

He accused DuPont of being 'dishonest, disingenuous and downright deceitful.'"

Chuck Neubauer reports for the Washington Times August 18, 2009. [2]