Trafigura vs BBC

[commandlinegamer]

Tweets indicating BBC to pay £25,000 to charity and to apologies on Newsnight.

update: Beeb statement -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8417913.stm

[commandlinegamer]

Some more digging found the following:

The Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations (UK) came into force in 2007 and this explanatory memorandum on page 8 refers to the deaths which occurred due to the Ivory Coast dumping (without referring to Trafigura or Compagnie Tommy by name):

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/em/uksiem_20071711_en.pdf

A UN report has also mentioned the deaths

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/top_news/index/UN_releases_report_on_Ivorian_toxic_waste_case.htm l?cid=9570

Trafigura critcised that as 'deeply flawed'. But neither the UK government nor the UN have been sued.

They did bring down the wrath of parliament for their super-injunction back in October which effectively gagged The Guardian from reporting on a parliamentary question, and which backfired when the information became widely reported on the Internet.

Even the financial settlement already agreed by Trafigura to Ivory Coast victims may be in doubt:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/world/africa/05trafigura.html

[ddt]

Who in the hell believes Trafigura?

In June 2006, the Probo Koala tried to get rid of its waste in Amsterdam. They misrepresented the nature of the waste, and while pumping, a number of the crew got sick from the toxic fumes. The waste was pumped back onto the Probo Koala. The Amsterdam port services referred them to Rotterdam which had better facilities. Instead, they sailed to Abidjan to dump it there.

If these fine gentlemen in the management of Trafigura really mean that waste is so innocent, why don't they handle it themselves personally?

[geni]

UK the joys of UK libel law. Considering how hard it would be to prove a connection between to the two events since data collection in Ivory Coast is limited the result is fairly predictable.

[andyandy]

from wikileaks

The Minton report that no one is allowed to refer to:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Minton_report:_Trafigura_toxic_dumping_along_the_I vory_Coast_broke_EU_regulations%2C_14_Sep_2006

:The BBC World service broadcast that was deleted.

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Censored_BBC_World_Service_radio_broadcast_%22Kill er_toxic_waste%22_on_the_Trafigura_scandal%2C_14_M ay_2009

Removed Times story on Trifigura:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Removed_Times_UK_story_on_Trafigura:_Big_profits_f rom_a_very_dirty_business_encourages_corruption_an d_broken_treaties%2C_18_Jul_2009

BBC Newsnight feature:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/BBC_Newsnight%27s_%22Dirty_tricks_and_toxic_waste_ in_Ivory_Coast%22%2C_15min_video%2C_13_May_2009

Another BBC feature now removed:

http://wikileaks.org/wiki/BBC_deletes_important_story_on_toxic_waste_dumping _in_the_Ivory_Coast_after_legal_threats%2C_12_Dec_ 2009

[andyandy]

How long before our politicians actually pull their fingures out their backsides and actually put a stop to libel bullying by big corporations and multi-millionaires?

thank god for wikileaks........

[geni]

How long before our politicians actually pull their fingures out their backsides and actually put a stop to libel bullying by big corporations and multi-millionaires?

thank god for wikileaks........

Well they've got as far as thinking about it.

[andyandy]

Well they've got as far as thinking about it.

i can't imagine they'll be able to take on wikileaks.....and even if they do, there'll be a dozen more sites and 100 times the interest in the story.....it won't be worth the publicity.......

it's probably just carter ruck billing by the hour to ruminate on the "possibility" :)

[ddt]

A Dutch criminal court has sentenced Trafigura to 1 million Euros fine for illegally exporting their toxic waste to Cote d'Ivoire (links: Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/23/trafigura-dutch-fine-waste-export), BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-10735255)). They can't put a gag order on that. :)