http://ownme.msk.ru Сервис свежайших превью новостей правительства США Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:20:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/cote-divoire-toxic-waste-compensation-deal-open-to-abuse/ http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/cote-divoire-toxic-waste-compensation-deal-open-to-abuse/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:25:23 +0000 aron 15442 at http://www.amnesty.org
A deal agreed between lawyers representing victims of the Trafigura toxic waste disaster and a group trying to secure control of the $45 million compensation fund is open to serious abuse, Amnesty International warned on Monday.

Attempts by the group, known as the National Coordination of Toxic Waste Victims of Côte d’Ivoire (CNVDT-CI), to have the money moved to its bank account provoked an international outcry.

All of the 30,000 claimants in the case are actually represented by UK law firm Leigh Day & Co.

The latest deal follows a series of legal battles in Abidjan, the Ivorian commercial capital, to block CNVDT-CI from receiving the money.

Under the new agreement, Leigh Day & Co and CNVDT-CI will jointly oversee a process to validate individual claims for a share of the compensation, approximately US$1,500 per person.

“It is profoundly disturbing that the victims’ lawyers have had to strike a deal with an organization whose claim to represent the 30,000 victims is so patently untrue,” said Widney Brown, Senior Director for International Law and Policy at Amnesty International.

Following the validation process the 30,000 claimants will be able to collect their compensation money from branches of Société Générale bank over the next three consecutive Sundays. Amnesty International understands that any money not claimed in this period will be transferred to CNVDT-CI to distribute.

“This process is wide open to abuse,” said Widney Brown. “Distribution of funds to 30,000 people in just three days is simply not feasible. If the funds are not distributed within the allotted time Amnesty International is concerned that CNVDT-CI will end up walking away with the money anyway.

“We are also concerned that the agreement puts the claimants - who have to collect their payments on a known day and from a known place - at risk of being robbed.”

The situation in Abidjan is fragile, as evidenced by the recent decision of President Laurent Gbagbo to dissolve the government, and this raises even more concerns about the safety and the effective compensation of the victims.

There were reports of police using tear gas to quell unrest following news on Friday that President Gbagbo had dissolvedthe government.

Amnesty International has called on the authorities to ensure that adequate policing, carried out with full respect for human rights, is in place so that the claimants can collect their compensation money in safety.

In August 2006, toxic waste was brought to Abidjan on board the ship Probo Koala, which had been chartered by oil-trading company, Trafigura. This waste was then dumped in various locations around the city, causing a human rights tragedy.

More than 100,000 people sought medical attention for a range of health problems and there were 15 reported deaths.
 
On 23 September 2009, the High Court of England and Wales approved a $45 million settlement between nearly 30,000 victims of the toxic waste dumping and Trafigura.

Under the terms of the UK settlement, endorsed by the UK High Court, only Leigh Day has the mandate to distribute the money to each and every one of the victims.]]> http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/cote-divoire-toxic-waste-compensation-deal-open-to-abuse/feed/ 0 http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/toksichnye-otxody-otchayavshixsya-zhertv-za-spravedlivost/ http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/toksichnye-otxody-otchayavshixsya-zhertv-za-spravedlivost/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:07:22 +0000 aron 15256 at http://www.amnesty.org
The prospect of receiving nothing has left victims feeling devastated.  

In the latest development in the ongoing legal battle, the Ivorian Supreme Court has issued a temporary stay on the money being transferred to a group falsely claiming to represent the victims.

There was an international outcry following an appeal court decision in late January that ruled that a group, known as the National Coordination of Toxic Waste Victims of Côte d’Ivoire (CNVDT-CI), should receive the compensation money.  

Several victims had earlier gone on hunger strike to draw attention to their plight.

Karim Kourouma, a victims’ representative, told Amnesty International: “The victims are very anxious, they are desperate.”

“If this money falls into the hands of CNVDT-CI, there is a real risk that victims won't receive their money. It is a fictitious organisation which does not have a legal mandate and was formed suddenly last year.”

“Over 20,000 victims presented a petition to the appeal court stating that CNVDT-CI does not represent them.”

Genevieve Diallo, who is entitled to compensation said: “We were completely shocked by the decision. Justice has become blind. How is this possible? We are now very anxious and anything can happen.”

The Supreme Court will now decide on the 8 February whether the stay on the money being transferred should remain in place. If the court decides to remove the stay, the money is once again at immediate risk of being transferred to CNVDT-CI's bank account

“This is the final chance for justice for the thousands of people that have suffered in this toxic waste tragedy and who are owed the compensation money that is legally theirs,” said Benedetta Lacey, a special adviser at Amnesty International who has worked closely on the case.

In late 2009 CNVDT-CI claimed that it represented some 30,000 victims who had brought a court case against Trafigura in the UK. The claimants and Trafigura had reached an out-of-court settlement for $45 million in September 2009.

All of the claimants in the case are actually represented by law firm Leigh Day & Co, and under the terms of the UK settlement, endorsed by the UK High Court, only Leigh Day has the mandate to distribute the money to each and every one of the victims.

“Leigh Day & Co was ready to make payments to each of the victims in October last year,” said Benedetta Lacey.

“Then suddenly this group emerges demanding that all of the money be paid into its bank account.  It is shocking that this false claim has been allowed to get so far.”

In August 2006, toxic waste was brought to Abidjan on board the ship Probo Koala, which had been chartered by oil-trading company, Trafigura. This waste was then dumped in various locations around the city, causing a human rights tragedy.

More than 100,000 people sought medical attention for a range of health problems and there were 15 reported deaths.
 
On 23 September 2009, the High Court of England and Wales approved a $45 million settlement between nearly 30,000 victims of the toxic waste dumping and Trafigura.]]> http://ownme.msk.ru/obrazovanie/toksichnye-otxody-otchayavshixsya-zhertv-za-spravedlivost/feed/ 0