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Chronology

2 July 2006

The Probo Koala, a tanker charted by the European company Trafigura Beheer BV ('Trafigura'),

arrives in Amsterdam.

5 July 2006

The Probo Koala leaves Amsterdam after receiving “normal, official clearances” from the Dutch

authorities (source: Trafigura press release of 18 October 2006).

9 July 2006

The Probo Koala arrives at Paldiski, Estonia.

13 July 2006

The Probo Koala leaves Estonia for Lagos, Nigeria.

30 July 2006

The Probo Koala arrives at Lagos, Nigeria.

17 August 2006

The Probo Koala leaves Lagos for Abidjan, Ivory Coast. 

19 August 2006

The Probo Koala arrives at Abidjan.  

20 August 2006

The Probo Koala unloads its "waste" whilst at Abidjan (source: Trafigura press release of 18 October

2006).

22 August 2006

The Probo Koala leaves Abidjan and headed for the Baltic (source: Trafigura press release of 6

October 2006).

6 September 2006

Following mass protests in Abidjan, the Ivorian Prime Minister, Charles Konan Banny, dissolves his

entire 32 member cabinet.

16 September 2006

A new cabinet is formed by the Prime Minister Banny (at the invitation of the President of Ivory

Coast, Laurent Gbagbo). The new cabinet includes all of the members of the previous cabinet save

for the Environment and Transport Ministers.

8 September 2006

Trafigura commences legal action against Compagnie Tommy, the Ivorian disposal company used

by Trafigura (source Trafigura press release of 4 October 2006). 

11 September 2006

Trafigura’s offer to inspect the Probo Koala when it arrived in Estonia or to route the vessel to the

Netherlands is allegedly declined by the Dutch authorities (source Trafigura press release 4 October

2006)

15 September 2006

The Probo Koala arrives at Paldiski, Estonia and is “inspected by the port environmental authorities”

and “detained in Paldiski by the Estonian authorities” (source Trafigura press statement of 18

October 2006).

15 September 2006

By Ministerial decision number 167 of 15 September 2006 the Ivorian Prime Minister sets up a

national commission to investigate the waste incident (source: Radio Côte d’Ivoire, 28 October 2006;

Le Matin d'Abidjan, 30 October 2006).

18 September 2006

The Ivorian authorities arrest Claude Dauphin (Director of Trafigura) and Jean-Pierre Valentini

(Trafigura's Manager for West Africa).

19 September 2006

Trafigura releases a press statement asserting that:

(a) The waste that was "disposed of in Abidjan" was not toxic but merely "the residue

washings (slops) from the slop tanks of the Probo Koala, the result of washings from

gasoline blend stock delivered to the vessel".

 

b) Abidjan had been chosen as the location to dispose of the slops because, “following

completion of [Probo Koala's] voyage to Nigeria, the most appropriate place in terms of

geography and ability to deal with these slops was Abidjan" as Abidjan is "considered to

be one of the largest and better equipped ports in West Africa".

 

(c) The slops from the Probo Koala were handed over to a certified local Abidjan slops

disposal company called Compagnie Tommy. That hand over occurred only after there

had been a “communication” to the “authorities” regarding the “the nature of the slops”.

 

(d) A “written request” had been made for the slops to be “safely disposed of, according

to country laws, and with all correct documentation”.

Trafigura releases a second press release (an "update") asserting (amongst other things) that

“Compagnie Tommy had confirmed that the slops would be correctly processed as Chemical slops,

with the consent of both the Ministry of Transport and the Port Authorities.”

24 September 2006

Trafigura releases a press statement asserting (amongst other things):

(a) It  had sent a sample of the "waste" waste discharged from the Probo Koala in

Abidjan to an independent laboratory in the Netherlands and the tests had not detected

any Hydrogen Sulphide.

 

(b) A “French analysis" of another sample taken from Abidjan had also shown that there

was no Hydrogen Sulphide present.

 

(c) Compagnie Tommy was certified independent Ivorian disposal company and was

“not connected to Trafigura in any way”.

 

(d) It had not "acted improperly in any way”.

 

(e) The composition of the chemical slops ("gasoline, spent caustic soda and water")

was  a “normal by-product from the cleaning of gasoline blendstock cargo”.

 

(f)  The discharged slops were “entirely in line with industry practice and international

regulations”.

Trafigura issues a press statement asserting:

(a) The Probo Koala offloaded the slops "into road tankers to (sic) Compagnie Tommy,

an Ivorian ministry-certified disposal agent, under the supervision of customs, port and

environmental officials"

 

(b) "Scientific opinion suggests that the slops by themselves could not have caused the

harm in Abidjan".

6 October 2006

Trafigura issues a press release asserting:

(a) The Probo Koala had discharged the slops “under the supervision of the port

authorities into the road tankers of a certified Abidjan disposal agent, Compagnie

Tommy”.

 

(b) The Probo Koala had left Abidjan two days after the slops were discharged with “all

normal clearances from the port authorities”

17 October 2006

The Ivorian Prime Minister's spokesperson, Ms Safiatou Ba N'Daw, refuses to comment on the

investigation during a press conference held in Abidjan on the grounds that the investigation was

ongoing and she did not want to interfere with that investigation. Ms N'Daw also alleges that:

(a) The Ivorian government has already spent 500,000,000 CFA (approximately

£510,000) on medicine for the victims and it expected to be eventually reimbursed for

the costs.

 

(b) There were 17 locations ("points") of pollution at 7 sites across Abidjan and only 3

were remaining: "route d’Alépé, bas-fond de la décharge d’Akouédo, Canal collecteur de

Vridi".

(source: L'Inter, 18 October 2006)

 

On or about 18 October 2006

The Prime Minister of Estonia allegedly states that “there is nothing mystical in the waste from the

Probo Koala” which only consisted of “oil and oil products” (source: press release of Prime Marine

Corporation of 18 October 2006). The Prime Minister is also alleged to have said that there was

“nothing to fear” of the waste as it was “only normal oil and compounds” and “not some

extraordinary poison” (source: press release of Prime Marine Corporation of 18 October 2006).

18 October 2006

Trafigura issued a press statement stating the following:

a) The slops discharged in Abidjan were “a mixture of gasoline residues, spent caustic

soda and water”.

 

(b) The Probo Koala had arrived in Amsterdam on 2 July to dispose of slops. The vessel

had been en route to Paldiski, Estonia, to take on a cargo of gasoline for delivery to

Nigeria.

 

(c) The Probo Koala started to discharge the slops whilst in Amsterdam under

arrangements made with a company called Amsterdam Port Services, but a dispute arose

over the costs of disposal and a quantity of slops was pumped back onto the ship prior

to its departure on 5 July 2006. 

 

(d) After leaving Amsterdam the Probo Koala traveled to Paldiski, Estonia where it

“collected a cargo of gasoline blendstocks” and left for Lagos, Nigeria.

 

(e) After offloading its gasoline cargo in Lagos, the Probo Koala contacted two local

companies for the disposal of the slops but “neither satisfied the ship’s master and the

Trafigura operational staff that they should be entrusted with the work”.

 

(f) On arrival in Abidjan the slops were discharged by the Probo Koala into road tankers

at a petroleum berth “under the supervision of port, customs and environmental

authorities”. The ship left Abidjan with “all normal clearances from the port authority”.

25 October 2006

Trafigura issues a press release stating (amongst other things):

 

(a) Trafigura’s shipping agent arranged for a "government-certified

company" to collect the slops from the ship and deliver them for disposal at

a cost that was “comparable with international norms”.

 

(b) The waste was discharged into road tankers in daylight at a petroleum

berth under the routine supervision of port, customs and environmental

authorities.   

 

(c) The waste that was discharged from the Probo Koala “did not contain

active hydrogen sulphide”, had it done so it would have caused “immediate

serious illness to the ship’s crew and the workers”.

 

(d) What happened to the slops after they were offloaded from the ship, and

the circumstances of the deaths and injuries which have been linked with

them, are matters for the Ivorian investigations.

 

25 October 2006

Minister Chieck Daniel Bamba (le ministre de Administration du territoire) maintains the suspension

of the Abidjan District Governor, Pierre d'Amondji, in Ministerial decision no 627 of 25 October

2007. (Source Le Matin d'Abidjan, 30 October 2006).

26 October 2006

Trafigura confirms, amongst other things, in a press release that "the chemical slops were not

offloaded in Amsterdam when the Probo Koala was there from 2-5 July because of a dispute over

costs and delay".

28 October 2006

The president of the National Inquiry Commission set up to investigate the waste incident on 15

September 2006, Ms Fatou Diakite, states

(a) The Commission ambit was only to investigate and report on facts.

 

(b) The Commission would need one more month to complete the investigation.

(Source: Radio Côte d’Ivoire, 28 October 2006; Le Matin d'Abidjan, 30 October 2006).

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Last updated: Monday 30 October 2006, 8.21 pm GMT.