A spokesperson for the Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell says the company is responsible for two oil leaks in Nigeria in 2008.

The spokesperson denied that the case would be settled out of court as reported by various media based on statements made by the victims’ lawyer.

The Shell spokesperson said the case would last at least a few more months. He added that the leaks in the village of Bodo in the Niger Delta fell under Shell’s operational responsibility, which includes human error and damage as the result of corroded pipe lines.

He said Shell would pay compensation, but could not give an indication of how much this would be. Shell does not expect the case to influence a separate law suit against Shell in The Hague brought by Nigerian farmers and a Dutch environmental organisation.

(gsh/hs)

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