South American tribe tries to block £240m Amerisur takeover
A London law firm is acting on behalf of a Colombian tribe in an attempt to block the takeover of Amerisur Resources by a larger energy firm.
Leigh Day, which is representing members of a tribe who live by Colombia’s Putumayo river, has tried to secure an injunction against Geopark’s £240m acquisition of Amerisur, which is expected to complete next week.
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The legal challenge comes after allegations that Amerisur polluted the local water supply, which had a knock-on effect on the tribe’s health.
Sky News, which broke the news, reported that a court hearing had been scheduled for later this week.
AIM-listed Amerisur has denied the allegations, which were reported by the Guardian last year.
Members of the tribe had said that they had endured severe physical illnesses after wastewater was pumped straight into the river.
Amerisur, which is chaired by former head of the England and Wales Cricket Board Giles Clarke, made no mention of the legal action in a statement to the London Stock Exchange.
The Amerisur board put the company up for sale last year after it recieved several expressions of interest. The firm has already rejected a bid from resources group Maurel and Prom.
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Sky News said it was unclear whether Leigh Day’s efforts would be successful.
City A.M has contacted Leigh Day and Amerisur for comment.