Two years ago, Glencore agreed it was involved in several corruption cases related to oil contracts in Cameroon, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire. However, the Swiss company was still facing prosecution in Switzerland for corruption in the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
After a four-year investigation, Swiss authorities have decided to drop the corruption charges against Glencore. The Federal Prosecutor's Office settled with the company, requiring it to pay a fine of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2.34 million) and damages of $150 million.
In a statement dated August 5, 2024, the Swiss Federal Prosecutor wrote that Glencore was convicted of not taking "all reasonable and necessary organizational measures to prevent the bribery of foreign public officials." The alleged bribing happened in 2011–one of Glencore’s business partners had acquired minority stakes in two mining companies in the DRC.
"The MPC stated that it had not identified any Glencore employees with knowledge of the acts of corruption committed by the business partner," Glencore wrote in a separate statement. According to the statement, the firm does not agree with the prosecutor's findings but decided not to appeal to resolve the case.
It is worth noting that Glencore faced similar legal actions in the UK and the US in 2022 regarding corruption in oil contracts in Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, and Cameroon. The firm currently operates two copper and cobalt mines in the DRC.
Operator explores renewable energy partnership with Italy’s Ascot Energy Move aims to stabilize p...
A $147M Novastar Ventures fund backed by major Japanese firms offers co-investment rights int...
First investor town hall since 2021 signals renewed engagement with markets Authorities hi...
Arise IIP plans to invest more than $3 billion in Kenya over five years The company wi...
Efforts to reinforce health systems are gaining pace across Africa, with this week’s developments fo...
Mauritanian Zeine Zeidane has been appointed director of the IMF’s Africa Department. A former prime minister and an IMF official for more than a decade,...
Africa’s sports economy could expand from $12bn to $30-35bn over the next decade Tourism contributes up to 8% of GDP across the continent,...
A two-year partnership will support women entrepreneurs with finance and training The initiative targets underserved and refugee-hosting...
Chevron has taken a final investment decision on the Aseng Gas Monetisation project. The project targets 550 billion cubic feet of gas with an...
The Bijagos Archipelago, located off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, stands as one of West Africa’s most extraordinary island systems. Made up of around forty...
RFI confirmed the end of “Couleurs Tropicales” following Claudy Siar’s departure after 31 years. The move follows a series of high-profile exits...