ROYAL DUTCH SHELL

Is Donny Ching all talk on Shell ethics?

Nowadays, reputation is harder to win. And much easier to lose. In this context it is not enough to simply say: “Trust us.” Trust. Reputation. These are not simply messages to be broadcast. They are the outcomes that result from consistently ethical behaviour.

I invite you to demonstrate that you mean what you say.

Esther Kiobel has been trying for the last 15 years to have her human rights case against Shell heard in the courts. Thus far, Shell has managed to prevent that happening. Her x-rated allegations against Shell concerning murderous events in Nigeria are truly shocking. They are set out in a brief lodged at the US Appeals Court a few days ago on her behalf by lawyers from EarthRights International.

Shell lawyers blocked the original action in the US courts for over a decade and are now intent on frustrating pending proceedings bringing the same action on the same grounds in the Dutch courts.

Before anyone asks why Esher Kiobel did not bring proceedings in Nigeria, I would point out that Shell has admitted corrupting the independence of the Nigerian authorities. See “Shell’s grip on Nigerian state revealed“.

On one occasion, a Shell chairman Sir John Jennings did prove his support for Shell’s business principles by funding two cases I brought against Shell. The unique arrangement did not survive his retirement when Shell quickly ditched the contract signed by David Varney, a then Shell Managing Director, and reverted to the usual underhand tactics, including blackmail, sinister undercover activity and fabrication of evidence presented in court.

I am not suggesting that Shell repeats the kind of grand gesture made by Sir John. Only that you instruct your US lawyers to withdraw their appeal against a decision already made by a Federal Judge that Shell should handover the 100,000 plus documents gathered internally at Shell for the stymied US litigation.

If Shell is innocent of the allegations made by Esther Kiobel what is there to hide? Let her have her day in court. Stop throwing up obstacles.

The current situation is eloquently explained in the extracts below from the briefing filed last week.

I look forward to your response.