The environmental disaster surrounding the dumping of toxic waste from chartered ship Probo Koala in 2006 returns to the spotlight today as a number of defendants go on trial in Amsterdam. The defendants include oil company Trafigura, Amsterdam Port Services, the captain of the Probo Koala and Amsterdam's Municipal Executive. They face a number of charges including violations of environmental legislation.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the Probo Koala, a ship chartered by Trafigura, attempted to offload hazardous waste in Amsterdam. When this did not prove possible, the ship set sail for Ivory Coast, where a local company dumped the waste in various locations in and around Abidjan. At least 16 deaths and tens of thousands of medical complaints have since been linked to the dumping.
The Amsterdam trial will not focus on the events in Ivory Coast, but will examine how the defendants acted while the waste was being handled in the Netherlands. The high profile case is expected to last five weeks.
Related Articles:
