London gold body faces trial over Tanzania miners deaths

The families of John and Peter – pseudonyms for two young Tanzanian artisanal miners killed while prospecting for gold at the North Mara Gold Mine – are pinning their hopes for justice and redress on the British legal system. It’s been almost five years since the two men were killed in separate incidents of alleged police violence at a mine supplying gold to a refinery that is part of the Switzerland-based MKS PAMP SA group. The High Court in London is finally taking on their lawsuit against the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), alleging that it wrongfully certified gold from a Tanzanian mine as being free from serious human rights abuses. The LBMA oversees the world’s largest gold market and upholds responsible sourcing standards. Swiss refineries rely on the LBMA stamp of approval for the international trading of gold and silver bars. The LBMA Good Delivery system includes measures to ensure the highest quality of precious metals bars enter the market as well as measures ...