UK Drops Corruption Charges Against Eurasian Natural Resources Corp in DRC Mining Case
In 2013, the United Kingdom initiated a corruption investigation into a subsidiary of Eurasian Resources Group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The company in question, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), was accused of offering bribes to secure mining contracts in the DRC.
This is according to an update published on August 24, 2023. and the UK’s Serious Fraud Office has officially concluded its decade-long investigation into ENRC, which is now under the ownership of Eurasian Resources Group.
According to the Serious Fraud Office’s recent announcement, the agency cited insufficient admissible evidence to support prosecution. As a result, the case has been closed.
This situation is not unique to the DRC, as similar investigations into corruption involving companies and businesspeople in the extractive sector have occurred in other African countries.
Israeli billionaire Dan Gertler, renowned for his mining ventures in the DRC, faced a US investigation for alleged corruption of foreign officials and is presently under American sanctions.
Moreover, one of the Serious Fraud Office’s investigations led to a significant fine of £276 million imposed on Glencore by British courts in November. This fine was related to corruption allegations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and South Sudan.
It is worth noting that ENRC shares common founders with Eurasian Resources Group, an unlisted company that currently holds various copper and cobalt projects in Zambia and the DRC.
