IVORY COAST: Trial of Ivorian officials accused of involvement in toxic waste dumping a gets underway in Abidjan

Record ID: 182063

  • Title: IVORY COAST: Trial of Ivorian officials accused of involvement in toxic waste dumping a gets underway in Abidjan
  • Date: 30th September 2008
  • Summary: COURTHOUSE LAWYERS VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF COURTHOUSE
  • Embargoed: 15th October 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Legal System
  • Reuters ID: LVA3LWG2AOVTRTU1PN5SWO40GVIM
  • Story Text: The trial of local officials accused of involvement in the Probo Koala toxic dumping scandal opens in Abidjan. Netherlands-based, Trafigura oil trading group, which was at the centre of the scandal is not involved in this particular hearing.
    The trial of local officials accused of involvement in the Probo Koala toxic dumping scandal opened on Monday (September 29) in the Ivory Coast's main port city, Abidjan.
    In August 2006, the ship Probo Koala dumped more than 580 tonnes of toxic waste in up to twelve sites Abidjan, leaving 17 people dead, and thousands contaminated.
    The scandal caused mass resignations in parliament in September 2006.
    However, Netherlands-based Trafigura oil trading group, which chartered the ship, is not among the defendants at this particular hearing. But Ivory Coast's state attorney, Xavier Delplanque confirmed the government had settled an agreement with Trafigura.

    "We are pleased that the Ivorian government managed to obtain such a large settlement. This will not replace the lives of the victims but the victims are entitled to some compensation. It's not up to the government to seek compensation on behalf of the victims. It's the victim's families, legally it's the victims' families who should seek compensation from the company and not the government," said Delplanque.
    Victims attending the trial were adamant that the truth must come out and those responsible brought forward.

    "Justice must be equitable, and there must an open dialogue. All those who are involved this matter must come forward, and the truth must be exposed. Whether it's a friend or a parent, but those who committed those acts must come forward," Lambbert Guehi, a victim of the toxic waste.
    However, the defendants' lawyer, Herve Guamene, argued his clients were not told what they were being accused of.

    "I can say with confidence that my client was not told the significance of the arrest warrant, and I also don't have it in my possession.
    So, we must wait for the court to give us an arrest warrant or a request to appear in court, and to explain what they accuse my client of doing, so that we have adequate time to prepare our defence," Guamene said .
    Although, foreign experts were sent in to help clean up the waste, there's still plenty of it around. Some of the chemical waste was deposited near water and sewage systems.
    Residents in Biabou, one of the Abidjan neighbourhoods located near the dump sites have been throwing rubbish and litter on top of the toxic waste but the waste is still there. The waste emits a poisonous chemical called Hydrogen Sulphide into the air. It also gets into the food chain and so could affect people for years to come.
    Piles of contaminated earth have also been collected into giant bags, left on the side of the road 20 kilometres outside Abidjan.
    Hundreds of residents demonstrated against the effects the toxic waste dump has on local communities in August this year.
    In February, Trafigura reached an amicable agreement with the Ivorian government, agreeing to pay 100 billion FCFA (218 million US dollars).
    The agreement enabled the release of two high ranking Trafigura officials, who had been detained for almost two months, after a visit in Abidjan.
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