CAMEROON nationals allegedly involved in the bribery scandal with multinational commodity trader Glencore are expected to stand trial in the UK next month. Reuters reports that Cameroon’s state oil firm, the National Hydrocarbons Corporation (SNH), has announced some of its managers and employees will appear before a British court on September 10 in connection with suspected involvement in bribery offenses linked to Glencore.
Reuters notes this announcement marks a reversal from SNH’s previous position. The news agency reports that SNH’s administrator and director general, Adolphe Moudiki, had earlier denied staff involvement but has now confirmed in a statement that certain employees have been identified as suspects in the case.
The Reuters article contextualizes this development, mentioning that in June 2022, Glencore’s UK subsidiary pleaded guilty in a London court to seven counts of bribery related to oil operations in several African countries, including Cameroon. The news agency also reports that Britain’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) recently charged Glencore’s former head of oil, Alex Beard, with two conspiracies to make corrupt payments in Nigeria and Cameroon.
According to Reuters, Moudiki stated that SNH “welcomes the progress of proceedings against the perpetrators and accomplices of the acts of corruption that have tarnished its image.” However, the news agency notes that Moudiki did not specify how many SNH staff were involved.
Reuters reports that the bribery allegations involve Glencore’s UK subsidiary paying bribes totaling 7 billion CFA francs (about $11 million) to SNH officials and others in Cameroon between 2011 and 2016 to secure preferential access to oil.
The article includes commentary from Akere Muna, a Cameroonian lawyer and anti-corruption specialist, who Reuters reports has called for SNH to disclose the identities of those involved and suspend all dealings with Glencore.
Reuters notes that while Cameroon’s state anti-corruption commission announced an investigation into the bribery offenses in July 2022, no further details have been shared since then. The news agency concludes by explaining that SNH is a state company responsible for selling Cameroon’s share of national crude oil production on the international market.
