Former Glencore Executives Await 2027 Trial for Bribery Charges
A group of former Glencore executives accused of bribery and corruption in West Africa by UK authorities will have to wait until 2027 to stand trial.
England’s criminal courts are currently facing a severe backlog of cases, worsened by years of underfunding, the COVID-19 pandemic, and lawyer strikes.
On Wednesday, a judge at London’s Southwark Crown Court set a trial date for June 1, 2027, for the Serious Fraud Office’s case, which is anticipated to last up to six months.
The accused include Alex Beard, the former head of oil at Glencore, and Andy Gibson, the ex-head of oil operations. They are charged with conspiring to make corrupt payments to government officials and employees of state-owned oil companies in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast over a decade ago.
Beard’s lawyer has previously stated that he intends to plead not guilty.
Other former Glencore employees charged with corruption include Paul Hopkirk, Ramon Labiaga, Martin Wakefield, and David Perez.
