London law firm Leigh Day last week served gold producer African Barrick Gold (ABG) with legal proceedings in a UK High Court, claiming that the company was liable for the deaths and injuries of villagers that lived close to its North Mara gold mine, in Tanzania.

The claims relate to incidents occurring over the last three years and allege the company’s complicity in the killing of at least six villagers by police in 2011.

The 12 claimants, including one man left paralysed, were suing the London-listed company for compensation, claiming that ABG had failed to curb the use of excessive force at the mine over a protracted period of time.

“Unfortunately, these are not isolated inci-dents. We are aware of many other instances in which local people have reportedly been seriously injured or killed at ABG’s mine,” said Leigh Day partner Richard Meeran in a statement.

The North Mara mine is located amid seven villages in the Tarime district. Villagers often try to gather rocks at the mine in the hope of finding gold.

Following the May 2011 raid by about 1 500 villagers, ABG built a 14 km wall around North Mara and installed closed-circuit television cameras in a bid to prevent villagers from seeking to steal gold ore.

Leigh Day also alleged that the mine had made offers to villagers who did not have adequate legal representation, in return for those individuals agreeing not to assist others suing ABG.

“To receive the promised payments from the mine in these arrangements, potential claimants have to perform public rela0 tions tasks for the mine over a period of years,” the firm added.

ABG, which also published its half-year results last week, denied the allegations and stated that it would “vigorously” defend its interests.

“The proceedings are at a very early stage, and no findings of fact whatsoever have been made by any court. ABG believes that these proceedings are without merit.”

ABG is currently involved in 254 lawsuits, including, among others, claims related to unlawful eviction, termination of services, nonpayment for services, defamation, neg-ligence by act or omission in failing to provide a safe working environment, unpaid overtime and public holidays compensation.

The lawsuits in which specific monetary damages are sought come to $73.3-million and included $2.8-million against the North Mara mine, $10-million against African Barrick Gold Exploration Limited – Tanzania and Sub-Sahara Resources and $11.4-million against ABG for the termination of a lease agreement in Dar es Salaam.