Thousands of victims of a toxic sludge dumping scandal could fail to receive their share of a 45 million dollar compensation package due to corruption in Ivory Coast, a British lawyer claims. Tens of thousands of people fell ill after a contractor for Dutch oil trader Trafigura dumped 500 tonnes of toxic waste in landfills around the capital Abidjan in 2006. A group of more than 30,000 people, represented by lawyer Martyn Day, accepted a 45 million US dollar out of court settlement from Trafigura in September this year. The company deposited the sum in a bank in Abidjan, but Mr Day, who won the settlement, claims a local state prosecutor has frozen the account. A local community representative backed by a highly influential Ivorian figure has claimed the cash, Mr Day said. The local court in Abidjan is due to rule on the case this week. – Panos, London.

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