Trial in Ivorian toxic dumping scandal

BBC Two's Newsnight has a piece on 'the biggest toxic dumping scandal of the 21st century,' which allegedly poisoned at least 30,000 people and killed 17 in Abidjan in 2006

The program's investigation led to Amsterdam where the waste could have been safely disposed of. Instead the company, Trafigura, went for the cheaper option and offloaded it in Abidjan, where it was illegally dumped in at least 18 different places across Côte d'Ivoire's commercial capital.

Trafigura denies any responsibility. The company says that the action was undertaken by an independent contractor Companie Tommy but called the dumping 'reprehensible and illegal.' Yet Trafigura claims that 'it is not possible that the content of the slops could have led to the deaths and widespread injuries which are alleged to have been caused by them.'

The UK Guardian also ran a piece on the lawsuit filed in English court against Trafigura. The company has been accused of pressuring witnesses to change their story.