the toxic truth - Greenpeace

the toxic truth
Macfarlanes and Trafigura also claimed that
it was the individual’s wish to be interviewed
outside of Côte d’Ivoire. 725
When the civil case reached a settlement, the
allegation was withdrawn. 726 It is a matter of
concern that the allegations, which were deemed
credible enough to grant a temporary injunction,
were not subject to any further investigation.
Further allegations of witness-tampering by
representatives of Trafigura emerged in 2010
when several of the drivers who had been
involved in the transport and the dumping of
hazardous waste in Abidjan in 2006 contacted
Greenpeace Netherlands. The drivers claimed
that representatives from Trafigura had bribed
them to make them change their account
of the dumping. Greenpeace Netherlands
investigated these allegations, including
by interviewing several of the drivers and
gathering documentary evidence including
the written statements that Trafigura allegedly
made the drivers sign. 727
The drivers claimed that they were approached
in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and were each paid
CFA 400,00 (around € 600) by Trafigura to
state that the waste was not dangerous and
that they had not suffered from any health
problems as a result of contact with it. The
drivers were promised more money if they
were to come to London to give evidence in
court to support Trafigura’s defence in relation
to the personal injury claim.
The drivers also claim that written statements
were prepared (and signed in 2009) which
they were told were to be used in the legal
proceedings against Trafigura in the UK
and the Netherlands. As far as Amnesty
International and Greenpeace are aware, the
statements were not used in either court case.
The drivers have described how, contrary to
the statements they gave Trafigura, several
of them experienced serious physical
symptoms from contact with the waste. Their
descriptions are consistent with the expected
effects of close contact with the material on
the Probo Koala. In the immediate aftermath
of the dumping, most of the drivers went into
hiding, fearing for their lives as panic and
anger engulfed Abidjan. Those who came
forward to Greenpeace in 2010 have said that
they gave statements to people representing
Trafigura under duress, fearing exposure in
Abidjan. However, by coming forward with their
story, they wanted now to offer their apologies
to the people of Abidjan.
On the basis of the evidence gathered,
Greenpeace asked the Dutch Public
Prosecutor’s Office to open an investigation
into the allegations.
In addition to the drivers, other Ivorian
nationals are also said to have been
approached by Trafigura and/or its
representatives, including two traders in
oil products working at a garage in Abidjan.
They were allegedly prompted by Trafigura to
devalue a statement made by of one of the
lead claimants in the UK personal injury claim
for damages against Trafigura. Greenpeace
has obtained these written statements, which
the oil traders say are untrue, and these have
also been sent to the Public Prosecutor.
Trafigura has denied the allegations.
165
Chapter 13
20 May 2010, Dakar:
Some of the truck
drivers who came
forward to tell
Greenpeace
their story. At the
time Greenpeace
investigated the
allegations made
by the drivers about
attempts to bribe
them to change their
testimony about
the waste. All of the
drivers are members
of the group “Stop
chauffeur en Danger”
(SCD). © GREENPEACE/
MARIETTA HARjONO