The captain of the alleged toxic waste ship Probo Koala was ordered to keep silent about its cargo. This was made known on Wednesday during his trial in Amsterdam. Captain Sergey Chertov, who was not present during the session, had stated earlier that he did not know precisely what happened to the waste and had just followed instructions.

According to documents and earlier statements by the captain, his clients emphasised that he was not to say that the chemical waste his ship carried to Ivory Coast in 2006 contained ‘caustic’ soda. The soda was used to remove sulphur from poor quality used oil so that it could then be used to make cheap petrol. This process took place on the Probo Koala in the Mediterranean Sea, because environmental regulations prevented it from being carried out on land.

Also on trial
Captain Sergey Chertov is not the only one standing trial. Also in the dock are Trafigura, the company that chartered the ship, as well as Amsterdam City Council and the waste disposal company Amsterdam Port Services, which decided not to accept the waste and pumped it back into the ship's hold. They are all facing prosecution for their parts in the affair.

Ivory Coast
Captain Chertov is said to have received instructions to take the waste on board so it could be processed at a much cheaper location. This is how it came to arrive at a waste company in Ivory Coast, where it could be processed for a fraction of the price demanded in Amsterdam. Environmental organisation Greenpeace claims that 16 people eventually died, and tens of thousands of people became ill, when the poisonous cargo was dumped at several sites around the Ivorian port of Abidjan.
 
The captain of the Probo Koala could go to jail for forgery. The former director of Amsterdam Port Services could also receive a prison sentence if it is established that environmental regulations were violated. The court in Amsterdam is expected to reach a verdict at the end of July.