Shell is to appear in a Dutch court [on 11 October] to account for alleged environmental pollution in Nigeria...[T]he court verdict is expected early in 2013...“This...case will have groundbreaking legal repercussions for multinational corporations” said Globalisation Campaign Leader at Friends of the Earth Netherlands...Geert Ritsema. He added: “Due to the poor maintenance of pipelines and factories, Shell let tens of millions of barrels of oil leak in the Niger Delta, with disastrous consequences for local people and the environment. The Anglo Dutch oil giant must now stop its pollution, compensate the damage and prevent more oil spills from happening.”...In May 2008, four Nigerian fishermen and farmers in conjunction with Friends of the Earth Netherlands and supported by Friends of the Earth Nigeria...started a legal case against Shell Nigeria and its parent company in the Netherlands.