Trafigura: Ivory Coast oil spill victims drag dem to court
Na up to 100,000 victims for Ivory Coast wey suffer after dangerous oil spill for 2006 na im don send lawyers go court for Netherlands.
Official for Ivory Coast dey work for Akouedo district inside Abidjan, one of di places wey dem say Trafigura dump toxic waste Di victims want their lawyers to handle dia join-bodi case wey dey find compensation (wey be no-vex money) from big oil trader company Trafigura. Dis na di latest court matter wey don dey on top di head of di Dutch-Swiss commodity trader, after di disaster for Abidjan, wey bi Ivory Coast commercial capital. "Di Amsterdam court must decide whether dem go fit handle di case wey our clients dey bring, and if Dutch law dey able to make ruling on top Trafigura's part inside di matter," na wetin lawyer Bojan Dekker talk. Na for August 2006, na im Amsterdam stop ship wey get toxic waste wey dem wan treat, from entering their port. Na so di ship sail go Abidjan, where dem dump di waste on top di city rubbish site, for at least 18 places. Ivorian judges say na over 500 cubic metres of dirty caustic soda, oil residues and water, na im kill 17 people and e poison thousands of others. Dis na Trafigura dem lawyers, during di company first case wey concern di oil spill matter for Ivory Coast No bi di first case Na last year na im one foundation carry di same kain case, say dem dey represent like 100 000 victims; but judges from di Amsterdam District Court troway di case, say dem no sure say wetin di foundation dey talk na true. Trafigura don always deny di whole thing; dem say dem no get any connection with di waste and di deaths plus sickness wey follow am. But for 2007 di company still reach settlement with di Ivorian government for $180m, although tori be say na only 60% of di registered victims na im don get no-vex money. Then for 2009, na outside court dem settle case with about $39m, wey involve 30,000 people - dem bin suppose pay dat one for Britain. By 2011, one Dutch court reject another case wey environmental group Greenpeace bring come; those ones want make Trafigura face law for Netherlands over wetin happen for Ivory Coast. Na so di court rule say none of di victims bin dey for Netherlands, and di oil spill happen outside di country. All dis one na im dey make Dutch media people dey say dem no sure is dis latest court matter go succeed. Decision about whether di court go take up dis case fit no come out before six weeks, na wetin Dekker talk. Sabi people from United Nations don draw ear last year raise alarm say many Ivorians still dey suffer from skin and breathing problem, and dem never fit get better help for di things wey happen because of di oil spill.