|
French oil company Total found guilty by Paris court |
|
|
Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
French oil company Total found guilty by Paris courtThe French oil company Total has been found guilty by a court in Paris, of "maritime pollution" and causing France's worst oil disaster in 1999.
This pollution had happened when the tanker Erika sank 75km (45 miles) off the coast of Brittany, and spilled 20,000 tonnes of oil into the sea. The oil contaminated some 400km along the coast after the tanker broke up on 12 December 1999 and killed 75,000 seabirds.
 The court fined Total a maximum sum of 375,000 euros (£280,000) and ordered them to pay a share of nearly 200m euros in damages but it was acquitted of a separate charge of complicity in endangering people and property Giuseppe Saverese, who owned the 25-year-old rusting tanker, as well as its manager Antonio Pollara, were also found guilty, and so too was Rina, the Italian company that had said the Erika was seaworthy at the time. Total and 14 other defendants first went on trial in February 2007, when all of those charged had denied responsibility.
Comment on this article
Leave your comments (Show/Hide Form)
Other Visitors Comments
There are no comments currently....
|
|
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 January 2008 )
|
