Panama Papers cited in Sierra Leone pollution case

Families in one of Africa's poorest countries hope documents from the Panama Papers will force a foreign-owned company to compensate them for alleged pollution, forced removal, health complaints and human rights violations. According to a report on the allAfrica site, attorneys representing 83 poor households from Sierra Leone's eastern Kono district appeared before the High Court last week in a groundbreaking case that seeks damages from a diamond mining company that is part of Israeli billionaire Benjamin Steinmetz's BSG Resources. Villagers allege that Koidu Ltd. has been complicit in polluting air and well water, destroying crops and homes and provoking violence. Police have killed four villagers and injured others during anti-mine protests since operations began in 2007. Describing the alleged abuse as ‘glaring,’ Benedict Jalloh, one of nine lawyers representing the villagers, said: ‘All you see is adversity, misery and exploitation.’ Jalloh and his colleagues' efforts have been stymied by a legal quirk that makes it difficult to identify the companies with legal responsibility for the mine. Last week's hearing in Sierra Leone was the first step in persuading judges to allow villagers to take legal action against Koidu Ltd., Octea and BSG Resources as one entity. Jalloh believes that documents from the Panama Papers may be crucial. ‘Those documents will show that they are one body, one single entity operating in Sierra Leone,’ Jalloh said. ‘And therefore we can bring an action against them.’ Sierra Leone's High Court will decide this week whether to recognise the request to treat as one Koidu Ltd., the Octea group of companies and BSG Resources. If successful, Jalloh and his team will then sue the companies over alleged human rights abuses.