爆撃する 長，指導者 'had a 私的な army'

By Graeme Beaton
Updated: 00:00 BST, 4 April 2004

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FORMER 爆撃する chairman Sir Philip ワットs helped to organise and 支払う／賃金 for a 事実上の 私的な army in the oilrich deltas of Nigeria, によれば 合法的な 文書s seen by the 財政上の Mail on Sunday.

American lawyers 代表するing 50,000 Ogoni people, 含むing the family of 遂行する／発効させるd ac tivist Ken Saro-Wiwa, are 予定 to question ワットs in London this month as part of a class 活動／戦闘 started in the US in September 2002.

The 訴訟 （人命などを）奪う，主張するs that 爆撃する 'engaged in militarised 商業 in a 共謀 with the former 軍の 政府 of Nigeria.' ワットs ran the oil 巨大（な）'s Nigerian SDPC 子会社 between 1991 and 1994.

The 活動／戦闘 主張するs that the Ogonis 苦しむd human 権利s 乱用s at the 手渡すs of the Nigerian 政府. Hundreds of people died and thousands more were 立ち退かせるd from their homes in a 血まみれの （選挙などの）運動をする.

Letters 耐えるing ワットs' 署名 have him ordering what are called '秘かに調査する police,' some to be equipped with 半分-(a)自動的な／(n)自動拳銃 武器s and wearing 爆撃する insignia on their uniforms to identify them as 'supernumaries' under the oil company's 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道する.

In one, 時代遅れの 1 December, 1993, ワットs thanks the 視察官-general of police for his co-操作／手術 'in helping to 保存する the 安全 of our 操作／手術' and requests 1,400 '秘かに調査する police'.

In another, ワットs 誓約（する）s '完全にする 兵たん業務, accoutrement and 福利事業 support' for the police 割り当てるd to 爆撃する's 操作／手術s.

'It is recognised that in these 現在の troubled times, it may not be 平易な to 解放（する） the number of 資源s 要求するd to adequately 保護する SDPC's 施設s,' he 令状s.

'However, we must 強調 that SDPC produces more than 50% of Nigeria's oil which has consequential major 衝撃 on the country's economy.'

Jennifer Green, a lawyer for the New York-based Centre for 憲法の 権利s that has taken up the Ogonis' 原因（となる）, wants to 設立する what ワットs knew and when. 'We argue 爆撃する's 活動／戦闘s より悪くするd the 状況／情勢,' she said.

爆撃する 否定するs the 主張s, arguing that it was the 職業 of the Nigerian 政府, not them, to 支持する human 権利s in the Niger delta.

広報担当者 Simon Buerk said the company had no choice but to 受託する the '秘かに調査する police' because it was 違法な in Nigeria to 雇う 私的な 安全. 'This is the only means to 保護する your people and オペラ tions from 犯罪のs, who are often 井戸／弁護士席 武装した and dangerous.' However, it was decided not to 用意する them with 半分-(a)自動的な／(n)自動拳銃 武器s.

The US 訴訟 is the 最新の 頭痛 for ワットs and 爆撃する. He 辞職するd after admitting 爆撃する had overstated its proven oil reserves by a fifth - a large 割合 of which relates to Nigeria.

It 現れるd last week that 爆撃する's 管理／経営 was 警告するd by its own planners four years ago about 未来 生産／産物 levels. UK and US regulators are 調査／捜査するing whether 株主s should have been told sooner.