SFO charges five former Glencore employees in bribery probe
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has charged five former Glencore employees over allegations of conspiring to make corrupt payments in order to benefit mining giant Glencore’s oil operations in West Africa.
The anti-fraud agency launched its investigation into the giant back in December 2019 over suspicions of bribery.
Glencore Energy (UK) was charged in May 2022 with seven counts of bribery in connection with its oil operations. In June it was convicted on all charges after the company admitted to multiple counts of paying bribes to secure access to oil and generate illicit profit.
Glencore was sentenced and ordered to pay over £280m in November 2022 including a fine, a confiscation order for the profit it obtained from bribes, and the SFO’s costs in full.
The agency has charged Alex Beard (56), Andrew Gibson (64), Paul Hopkirk (50), Ramon Labiaga (55), and Martin Wakefield (64) – all former employees.
Beard, who was the former CEO of Glencore’s worldwide oil operations, faces charges over two alleged conspiracies to make corrupt payments to government officials and officials of state owned oil companies in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014, and Cameroon between 2007 and 2014.
Gibson faces four charges of conspiracies to make corrupt payments to government officials and officials of State owned oil companies in Nigeria and Cameroon between 2007 and 2014, and in the Ivory Coast between 2007 and 2010. He has also faces an additional charge of conspiracy to falsify documents between 2007 and 2011.
Hopkirk faces one conspiracy to make corrupt payments to government officials and officials of a state owned oil company in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014.
Labiaga was also charged over one charge of alleged bribery in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014.
While Wakefield faces three conspiracies to make corrupt payments to government officials and officials of State owned oil companies in Nigeria between 2007 and 2010, Cameroon between 2007 and 2014 and Ivory Coast between 2007 and 2010, as well as one charge for conspiracy to falsify documents between 2007 and 2011.
A hearing is scheduled for 10am on Tuesday 10th September at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Commenting on the charges, SFO director, Nick Ephgrave said: “Bribery damages financial markets and causes lasting harm to communities.”
“Today’s action is an important step towards exposing overseas corruption and holding those who are responsible to account,” he added.