………as Court says they have no evidence to back their
A Court in Netherlands on Wednesday rejected a case brought by four Ogoni Widows against Shell over their husbands execution on November 10,1995 by the military regime
The widows led by , Esther Kiobel wife of Barinem Kiobe filed the case with the support of Amnesty international
They accused Shell of involvement in the arrest, detention, prosecution and eventual execution of their husbands,who opposed Shell,’s exploitation of resources in Ogoniland.
The widows alleged that Shell had been involved in corrupting witnesses in the trial of the so- called Ogoni 9, who in November ,1995 were convicted in the murder of four Ogoni leaders.
But the court ruled that their position was based on interpretation and assumptions and that they had no evidence to back their accusations.
Witnesses had testified to the court that they had signed prepared statements and had been coached to incriminate the defendants,in return for the promise of payments and jobs. They said they had been told that the money they received came from Shell.
A court statement said”the statements are based on assumptions and interpretations of the witnesses and are not specific enough to be able to conclude that the money they have stated actually came from Shell”
It added that Whatever abuses had taken place during the trial, there was no evidence that Shell had any knowledge of or role in what had happened.
Among the Ogoni 9 was the leader of the Movement of the Survival of the Ogoni people ( MOSOP). Ken Saro,- Wiwa.
