Best Specialist SFO Investigation Defence Solicitors Bark & Co Law Firm Obtain All Charges Dropped in Bribery & Corruption Ponzi Scheme Scam Mis-selling Case brought by the Serious Fraud Office

No Carges Brought

Renowned as the best specialist SFO investigation defence solicitor Law Firm, our Bark & Co Lawyers obtained an outstanding outcome of no charges made by the Serious Fraud Office in the notorious Bribery & Corruption oil-trading  case for our individual former employee client in the Glencore Energy UK case.

The SFO’s landmark investigation into Glencore, concerning the conduct of its oil business in Africa and specifically the payment of bribes to maximise its oil trading profits, became public in 2019. Glencore in June 2022 pleaded guilty to seven counts of bribery, with the conviction including the first ever use of substantive bribery offences for a company and the penalty (£280m) being the highest ever ordered in a corporate criminal conviction.

The SFO investigating further potential charges against individual employees. These include DB, a UK-based crude oil trader who worked on Glencore UK’s West Africa Desk between 2009 and 2011.  DB’s role included dealing with various intermediaries in Nigeria as well as foreign public officials.

The SFO’s suspicion is that during his employment DB was involved with the bribery of (among others) officials of the NNPC (Nigeria’s primary state-owned oil entity) and associated government officials, in order to win, secure and maintain preferential treatment for Glencore’s business – giving rise to offences under (among other legislation) the Public Bodies Corrupt Practice Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Bribery Act. DB is said to have gained personally from the advantages obtained, as his remuneration was tied to the commercial success of the West Africa Desk.

Following a full comment interview our client was not charged by the SFO.

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