A group of Sierra Leoneans has requested the country’s High Court to freeze the assets of Octea, a subsidiary of Beny Steinmetz's BSG Resources (BSGR) in their ongoing diamond mine lawsuit, according to news reports.
At least 73 plaintiffs launched a lawsuit against Octea subsidiary Koidu in March last year seeking damages for alleged environmental degradation around a diamond mine.
They all live within 500 metres of the mine and alleged that they had suffered respiratory infections and headaches from living near the mine. They are seeking $288-million in damages.
Reuters reports that it had seen an affidavit to the high court of Sierra Leone in which the lawyer for the plaintiffs said there was a "clear and present risk" the defendants could expatriate funds in order to avoid having to pay out if the court rules against them.
The affidavit said that without a freezing order, plaintiffs might have to seek execution of a possible judgment in their favour in as many as seven separate jurisdictions.
The majority of the 12 defendants are not domiciled in Sierra Leone, and BSGR is in administration proceedings.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
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