Trafigura bemöter kritiken

Företaget Trafigura pekas i reportaget bland annat ut som ansvarigt för en miljöskandal i Elfensbenskusten.
I ett mejl till redaktionen tillbakavisar de kritik på flera punkter:

Trafigura response to SVT re: re-broadcast of NRK programme

The NRK programme which you plan to broadcast on Wednesday 08/10/08 contained a number of inaccuracies and unsubstantiated allegations concerning Trafigura, of which we feel you should be made aware.

1) The NRK programme wrongly alleged that Trafigura was involved in producing and transporting poor quality gasoline for Africa.

It is important that you are clear that this accusation is utterly false.

The facts are that Trafigura's gasoline imports into West Africa follow fully transparent, public tenders with clearly established specification requirements. The relevant State authorities set that specification at the tendering stage. Trafigura always ensures that its products comply fully with those specifications and rigorous testing prior to discharge of any cargo being delivered is routine.

2) The NRK programme appeared to state as fact that the Probo Koala's slops directly caused deaths and injuries in the Ivory Coast.

In fact, Trafigura maintains, and intends to demonstrate in the English High Court in due course, that the material in question simply cannot have caused the deaths and mass injuries alleged - a position supported by the evidence of independent experts.

Trafigura vigorously denies any wrongdoing in relation to Ivory Coast - a position that is well-documented but of which the NRK broadcast made little or no mention.

3) At the end of the NRK programme there were references to a number of other, wholly unrelated yet very serious, allegations concerning Trafigura. The sole purpose of broadcasting these appeared to be an attempt to damage the company's reputation.

In respect of these allegations, Trafigura absolutely refutes any suggestion that it was knowingly involved in any breach of the UN oil-for-food regulations. The company's agreement with the United States shows that it did not knowingly contravene UN Oil for Food regulations or US laws. In addition, Trafigura strenuously denies the vague and unparticularised allegations made in the NRK programme about its business operations in South Africa, Nigeria, Jamaica and the Congo.

There was, and remains, no good reason why these allegations should be included in the broadcast.

In conclusion we feel that it would be wise for SVT to visit Trafigura's website at http://www.trafigura.com/trafigura_news/probo_koala_updates.aspx in order to fully appreciate Trafigura's position.

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