Dawson found her indignation attractive. “Do you believe that Mr. DeSouza hated your aunt and uncle enough to kill them in such a brutal way?”
“What do you think my very biased answer to that is, Inspector?” she said, a little mockingly, perhaps.
That’s a yes, Dawson thought with a slight smile. He was eager to talk to DeSouza and find out for himself if he was as detestable as the doctor made him out to be.
“May I look through the rest of these boxes?” he asked her.
“Yes, feel free.” She stood up. “I’m going downstairs to talk to Gamal for a moment, so help yourself. I’ll be back in a little while.”
“Okay, Doc.”
He examined the other documents in the STMA box, many of them minutes of different meetings. One of them caught his eye.
MALGAM OIL: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Attendance Register
Meeting location: Raybow Hotel Conference Center
Date: 8th March, 2012
The attendees had signed in with their phone numbers, email addresses, and the organization each represented. Charles Smith-Aidoo had been present, with an environmental advisor from the Malgam head office in Accra, a district finance officer, an engineer, Fiona Smith-Aidoo, Kwesi DeSouza, and Reggie Cardiman, owner of Ezile Bay Resort.
Dawson turned the page.
Mr. Reggie Cardiman (RC) stated that he was very concerned that he had yet to see a detailed plan from Malgam Oil on what specific measures they will take to protect the shoreline from destruction in the event of an oil spill. RC stated that Cape Three Points, where the Ezile Bay Resort is located, is a major nursing ground for marine turtles from August to March. Dolphins and whales also inhabit this area between October and December. Many birds feed in shallow waters at Cape Three Points, and their habitat is delicate.
In response, environmental consultant Hayford Nkrumah (HN) stated that Malgam Oil and the Ghana government were drawing up policies to delineate environmental measures and corporate responsibility in the face of oil exploration and production. Charles Smith-Aidoo (CSA), Malgam Corporate Relations Director, said he wanted to assure RC that a significant oil spill that would affect the flora and fauna of the shoreline was highly unlikely.
However, RC said that CSA’s declaration regarding the small likelihood of a harmful oil spill was unsatisfactory, as oil spills occur regularly worldwide, citing the Gulf of Mexico disaster of 2010. RC stated that even discharge of ballast water from tankers could affect the integrity of the coastal environment. HN stated that the vast volumes of water in the Gulf of Guinea would dilute the ballast waters.
