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A former senior Glencore executive appeared in court yesterday charged with bribery.
Billionaire Alex Beard, 57, who was oil director of the Swiss commodities giant for more than a decade, will plead not guilty, his lawyer told Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.
Beard is the highest-profile commodities trader to be charged with corruption in Britain.
Trial: Alex Beard was oil director at Swiss commodities giant Glencore for more than a decade
He has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments to government officials and officials of state oil companies.
The charges relate to payments made in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014 and in Cameroon between 2007 and 2014.
Five other former employees were also brought before the court accused of making corrupt payments related to Glencore’s operations in Africa.
Andrew Gibson, 64, and Paul Hopkirk, 50, have pleaded not guilty through their attorneys. Ramon Labiaga, 55, and Martin Wakefield, 64, have not pleaded guilty. Gibson and Wakefield are charged with conspiracy to falsify documents between 2007 and 2011.
David Perez, 53, is charged with making corrupt payments and conspiracy to falsify documents. He has not entered a plea.
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