Project :Video Review On White Collar Crime Films

ETHICS IN ISLAM

(DPD6033)

Prepared by,

Muhammad Nawawi Bin Noor Azman (23DIB18F1017)

Muhammad Afiq Aiman Bin Lokman (23DIB18F1015)

Muhammad Nur Irfan Bin Fhaizal (23DIB18F1009)

Sadiq Najwan Bin Sallehudin (23DIB18F1030)

Muhammad Aqil Naufal Bin Arman (23DIB18F1035)

Prepared For ; Sir Zul Aizat Bin Hamdan

_____________October.29.2020
Introduction

White collar crime is a nonviolent crime committed for financial gain.These crime
includes mispresentation of corporations finances in order to deceive regulators and others.a host
of other offenses involve fraudulent investment opportunities in which potential returns are
exaggerated and risk are potrayed as minimal or non-existent.For this project ,we have asked to
review to the film shows the white collar crime scene and identifying the crime from the movie
The Insider (1999).The review based on the chapter 2 about banking ethics and chapter 3 about
the internal control and the conflict from the syllabus for the courses Ethics in Islamic Finanace
(DPD6033).The purpose of this project is to analyse,give solution and give reaction to the movie
from the ethical issue in financial intitutions about white-collar crime scene.
Synopsis

The Insider (1999) is the truth story of Jeffry Wigand,He is a former Tobacco executive, who
decided to appear on 60 Minutes (1968). As a matter of conscience partially prodded by
Producer Lowell Bergman,he revealed that, the tobacco industry was not only aware that
cigarettes are addictive and harmful, but deliberately worked on increasing that
addictiveness.In the first scene, Jeffrey Wigand (Crowe) packs his belongings and leaves his
Brown and Williamson office, returning home to his wife Liane (Venora) and two children,
one of whom suffers from acute asthma. When Liane asks about the boxes in Wigand's car,
he reveals that he was fired from his job that morning.

Returning home to Berkeley, California, Bergman receives an anonymous package containing

documents relating to tobacco company Philip Morris, and approaches a friend at the FDA for
the name of a translator. Bergman is referred to Wigand, and calls him at his home only to be
steadfastly rebuffed. Curious with Wigand's refusal to even speak to him, Bergman eventually
convinces him to meet at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville. In the privacy of their hotel room,
agrees to translate the tobacco documents, but stresses that he cannot talk about anything else
because of his confidentiality agreement. After leaving with the documents, Wigand appears at a
meeting with Brown and Williamson CEO Thomas Sandefur (Gambon), who orders him to sign
an expanded confidentiality agreement, under threat of revoking his severance pay, medical
coverage and initiating legal proceedings. Wigand, enraged at the threats and believing that
Bergman notified Sandefur about their confidential meeting, calls and accuses Bergman of
treachery.

Bergman visits Wigand's house the next day and maintains that he did not reveal anything to
Brown and Williamson. Reassured, Wigand talks to Bergman about the seven CEOs of 'Big
Tobacco' perjuring themselves to the United States Congress about their awareness of nicotine's
addictiveness, and that the CEOs should fear Wigand. Bergman says Wigand has to decide
himself whether to blow the whistle on big tobacco. Bergman returns to CBS Headquarters in
New York City, where he and Wallace discuss Wigand's situation and the potential damage he
could do to Big Tobacco. A lawyer at the meeting claims that Wigand's confidentiality
agreement, combined with Big Tobacco's unlimited checkbook, would effectively silence
Wigand under mountains of litigation and court costs. Bergman proposes that Wigand could be
compelled to speak through a court of law which could give him some protection against Brown
and Williamson should he do an interview for 60 Minutes.

The Wigand family move into a newer, more affordable house, and Wigand begins teaching
chemistry and Japanese at a Louisville high school. One night while asleep, he's alerted by his
daughter to sounds outside the house. Upon investigation, he discovers a fresh shoe print in his
newly planted garden, and begins to become paranoid. The next night, Wigand and Bergman
have dinner together, where Bergman asks Wigand about incidents from his past that Big
Tobacco might use against him. Wigand reveals several incriminating incidents before declaring
he can't see how they would affect his testimony. Bergman assures him they will.

Bergman contacts Richard Scruggs (Feore) and Ron Motley (McGill), who with Mississippi's
attorney general Mike Moore are suing Big Tobacco to reimburse the state for Medicaid funds
used to treat people with smoking-related illnesses. The trio express an interest in Bergman's idea
and tell him to have Wigand call them. Meanwhile, Wigand receives death threats via email and
finds a bullet in his mailbox, prompting him to contact the FBI, who after subtly accusing him of
emotional imbalance confiscate his computer for evidence. Enraged over the threats to his
family, Wigand phones Bergman and demands that to fly to New York and tape his testimony
immediately. During Wigand's interview with Wallace, Wigand states that Brown and
Williamson manipulated nicotine through ammonia chemistry to allow nicotine to be more
rapidly absorbed in the lungs and therefore affect the brain and central nervous system through
impact boosting. He continues by saying Brown and Williamson have consciously ignored
public health considerations in the name of profit.

In Louisville, Wigand begins his new teaching job and talks to Richard Scruggs. Upon returning
home, Wigand discovers that Bergman has given him some security personnel. Wigand's wife is
struggling under the pressure and tells him so. Days later, Wigand travels to Mississippi, where
he receives a restraining order issued by the State of Kentucky to prevent him from testifying.
Though the restraining order, issued by Brown and Williamson's lawyers, was thrown out in
Mississippi, Wigand is told that if he testifies and returns to Kentucky he could be imprisoned.
After a lengthy period of introspection, Wigand goes to court and gives his deposition, during
which he says nicotine acts as a drug. Following his testimony, Wigand returns to Louisville,
where he discovers that his wife and children have left him.

At this point the film shifts its emphasis from Wigand to Bergman. Bergman and Wallace go to a
meeting with CBS Corporate about the Wigand interview. A legal concept has emerged, known
as Tortious interference. If two parties have an agreement, such as a confidentiality agreement,
and one of those parties is induced by a third party to break that agreement, the party can be sued
by the other party for any damages. It is revealed that the more truth Wigand tells, the greater the
damage, and a greater likelihood that CBS will be faced by a multi-billion dollar lawsuit from
Brown and Williamson. It is later suggested that an edited interview take the place of the
original. Bergman vehemently disagrees, and claims that the reason CBS Corporate is leaning on
CBS News to edit the interview is because they fear that the prospect of a multi-billion dollar
lawsuit could jeopardize the sale of CBS to Westinghouse. Wallace and Don Hewitt agree to edit
the interview, leaving Bergman alone in the stance of airing it uncensored.

A PR firm hired by Big Tobacco initiates a smear campaign against Wigand, dredging up details
about his life and publishing a 500-page dossier. Through Wigand, Bergman discovers that Big
Tobacco has distorted and exaggerated numerous claims, and convinces a reporter from the Wall
Street Journal to delay the story until it can be disproven. Bergman contacts several private
investigators who do begin their own investigation. Bergman releases his findings to the Wall
Street Journal reporter and tells him to push the deadline. Meanwhile, due to his constant fights
with CBS management, Bergman is ordered to go on vacation.

Soon after, the edited interview is broadcast. Bergman attempts to call Wigand at his hotel but
receives no answer. He instead calls the hotel manager, who opens Wigand's door but is stopped
by the deadbolt. Peering into Wigand's room, the hotel manager spies Wigand sitting alone, lost
in a daydream about the idyllic life he could have led without his testimony. Per Bergman's
commands, the hotel manager convinces Wigand to accept Bergman's phone call. Wigand
screams at Bergman, accusing him of manipulating him into his position. Bergman tells Wigand
that he is important to a lot of people and that heroes like him are in short supply. After hanging
up, Bergman contacts the The New York Times and reveals the scandal that occurred at 60
Minutes, causing the New York Times to release a scathing article that accuses CBS of betraying
the legacy of their esteemed reporter, Edward R. Murrow (who was famous for defying and
denouncing the red-baiting Senator Joe McCarthy in the 1950s). Meanwhile, The Wall Street
Journal exonerates Wigand and reveals his deposition in Mississippi, while condemning Big
Tobacco's 500-page smear as 'the lowest form of character assassination'. 60 Minutes finally
broadcasts the full interview with Wigand.

In the final scene Bergman talks to Wallace and he tells him that he's quitting saying, 'What got
broken here doesn't go back together again'. The final shot is of him leaving the building. A
series of title cards appear stating the $246 billion settlement that big tobacco made with
Mississippi and other States in their lawsuit, that Wigand lives in South Carolina. In 1996, Dr.
Wigand won the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher of the Year award, receiving national
recognition for his teaching skills. Lowell Bergman works for the PBS show Frontline and
teaches at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.
ANALYSIS OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIME

In this movie, there are few ethical issue and white-collar crime that Directors and Writers of this
movie highlighted. We list out the issues and crimes that we think related to our study.

i. Falsification of facts

The B&W Tobacco Company is willing to spend a billions money and pay the CBS Cooperative
to twist the facts and not to broadcast a 60 Minutes talk about the dangers of Tobacco. The
purpose is to cover up the evils of B&W companies and to deceive the public about the dangers
of tobacco to health.

ii. The death threats

The B&W Tobacco Company seeks to prevent Mr. Wigand from exposing all of the company's
misconduct. Among their actions was to harass the Wigand family and threaten to kill Mr.
Wigand himself.

iii. Focus on business over society

CBS Cooperative, which conducts business for CBS, is willing to order CBS News not to
broadcast the 60 Minutes program for fear that CBS will be bought by the B&W company itself.
This shows us where companies prioritise business over the welfare of society. As a result,
society will live in ignorance of the dangers of tobacco to health.
iv. Treacherous or saviour (conflict of interest)

Mr Wigand has a dilemma where he wants the public to know about the dangers of tobacco. At
the same time he has signed an agreement in which he as a former
employee in B&W is not allowed to reveal the company's secrets to the public. This worries him
because he wants to clear his name which has been tarnished by B&W and save humanity, but if
he violates the agreement, it means he has already betrayed his former employer and will tarnish
his name or may be fined.

v. Breach of trust

Mr. Wigand broke the secrets of his former employer in an interview with Mr. Wallace in the 60
Minutes show. The interview was conducted before Mr. Wigand went to court to tell all the
secrets legally. Meaning he told what he should have told before the proper time.
Solution, Recommendations and Implications for the issues

a) B&W Tobacco Company uses its power and fame as the 3rd largest tobacco company in
the world to manipulate all the news on CBS News for the benefit of their company. The way
they do it is by inciting people in the CBS Cooperative to control all CBS companies. This is
already contrary to the code of work ethic with the misused of position. This should not happen
to our muamalat because it hurts others. What CBS should do is to ignore B&W because they are
criminals. CBS needs to use the Philantrophic Dimension by prioritizing the welfare of society
more than business, being fair and playing the role of high-profile and professional media that
can be an example to society

b) Mr. Wigand must have the courage to fight in order to defend himself. This is because he
is in danger of being threatened with death by a former employer.CBS as a professional company
that has an ethics against tyranny needs to publish about the oppression plagued by Mr. Wigand.
They should follow the Human Rights Dimension. Not only Mr. Wigand, but the whole society
will also be spared from tyranny and oppression.

c) Mr Wigand should not have disclosed the secrets of the B&W Tobacco company to CBS
News before his declaration in court. This is because he has already violated the agreement that
he has already signed. He has Misused of Information. This shows that he is not trustworthy in
carrying out his duties and agreements. All he had to do was not dismantle it as long as he had
not yet made a declaration in the Mississippi court, means he should demolished it legally. Only
then did he comply with the code of ethics the confidentially of communication and
transaction.
 Conclusion

As for conclusion, The Insider directed by Michael Mann really portrayed a lot of ethical
issue as that is what had happened in industries history . This movie really shows us the real
picture of how capitalist works and tests our mind in understanding the scene and issues. We
should not practice any white-collar crime that may seem forgivable but actually illegal. It will
affect a lot of innocent people by practiced unethical behavior in the company or in the industry.
Board of Direct and Corporate Governance plays an important role to ensure cleanliness in any
transactions or work in any industry by practicing ethical behavior and follows as what
government has gazette in the regulations.
References

https://topeuropix.site/mov/the-insider-online-free-streaming-hd-with-subtitles-europix

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-insider-1999

https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/insider/#

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChXTKROM_Nk

Appendix (picture)