A former top executive of Glencore, the Swiss commodity trading giant, has entered not guilty pleas in London court over allegations of conspiring to pay bribes to officials in West Africa to secure business deals for the company. The case, brought by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office, centers on claims that payments were made to advance Glencore’s operations on the continent. The hearing marks the latest legal challenge for the company amid ongoing scrutiny of corporate conduct in resource-rich regions. Details of the alleged scheme and the role of Beard’s former deputy remain under examination.
Billionaire Alex Beard and his former deputy appear in London court over alleged payments to African officialsGlencore’s billionaire former head of oil trading has pleaded not guilty to two bribery charges after allegedly facilitating payments to west African officials in order to advance the Swiss commodity group’s operations in the continent.Alex Beard, 59, denied two counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments at London’s Southwark crown court on Thursday, in a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). Continue reading...
