the toxic truth - Greenpeace

the toxic truth
Trafigura rejected this new quote and asked
for the waste to be reloaded on to the Probo
Koala. After much discussion between the
Dutch authorities, this was agreed to, despite
the fact that the destination of the waste was
unknown.
On 19 August 2006, with the waste still on
board, the Probo Koala arrived in Abidjan in
Côte d’Ivoire. Trafigura proceeded to contract
a newly licensed company, called Compagnie
Tommy, to dispose of the waste at a local
dumpsite. There was no mention, in the handwritten
contract with Tommy, of treating the
waste to make it safe. The waste was unloaded
into trucks and taken to the dumpsite; however,
concerns about the smell led the site to close.
Truck drivers then dumped the rest of the
waste at approximately 18 different locations
around the city of Abidjan.
On 20 August 2006, the population of
Abidjan woke up to the appalling effects
of the dumping. Tens of thousands of
people experienced a range of similar
health problems, including headaches, skin
irritations and breathing problems. A major
medical emergency ensued.
In September 2006 two Trafigura executives,
who had arrived in Abidjan following the
dumping, were charged with offences relating
to breaches of Ivorian public health and
environmental laws, as well as poisoning
or being accessories to poisoning. Other
individuals, including a number of Ivorian
port and customs officials, and the head of
Compagnie Tommy, were also charged with
offences relating to the dumping.
On 13 February 2007 Trafigura and the
government of Côte d’Ivoire reached a
settlement, under which Trafigura agreed to
pay the state of Côte d’Ivoire the sum of CFA95
billion (approximately US$195 million), and
the government waived its right to prosecute or
mount an action against the company.
Neither Trafigura nor any of its executives were
brought to trial in Côte d’Ivoire. Ultimately,
only two individuals were convicted by a court
in Abidjan: Salomon Ugborogbo, the head
of Compagnie Tommy, and Essoin Kouao, a
shipping agent from West African International
Business Services (WAIBS).
In June 2008, the Dutch Public Prosecutor
brought charges against Trafigura Beheer BV
and a number of other parties for the illegal
export of the waste from the Netherlands
to Africa. On 23 July 2010, the Dutch court
handed down a guilty verdict on a number of
kEy faCTS Of ThE CaSE
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