Two former senior executives of Glencore, a major Anglo-Swiss commodity trading firm, have pleaded not guilty to charges related to alleged bribery involving officials in West Africa. The pleas were entered at Southwark Crown Court in London, where the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is prosecuting the case.
Alex Beard, 59, Glencore’s former head of oil trading, denied two counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments. His former deputy, Andrew Gibson, 66, who previously served as head of the company’s oil operations, pleaded not guilty to five charges, including conspiracy to make corrupt payments and conspiracy to falsify documents. Beard’s alleged involvement centers on facilitating corrupt payments to government and state-owned oil company officials in Nigeria and Cameroon between 2010 and 2014, while Gibson faces similar allegations spanning from 2007 to 2014 in Nigeria, Cameroon, and additionally Côte d’Ivoire. The charges accuse the accused of participating in schemes intended to advance Glencore’s business interests in those countries.
The case is part of a broader investigation by the SFO into Glencore’s dealings in West Africa, where the company grew to become one of the world’s largest oil traders. Beard, who retired in 2019 after joining Glencore in 1995 from BP, was identified as a key figure in Glencore’s expansion in the oil trading sector. Gibson, meanwhile, has been charged with not only conspiracy to bribe but also falsifying documentation required for accounting purposes between 2007 and 2011.
Alongside Beard and Gibson, four other former Glencore traders — Martin Wakefield, David Perez, Paul Hopkirk, and Ramon Labiaga — have also pleaded not guilty to several charges of conspiracy related to corrupt payments. The six defendants collectively face a total of 16 charges and have been released on unconditional bail. Their trial is scheduled to commence in October 2027.
The court hearing drew significant attention, with a large representation of barristers from both prosecution and defense present. Observers have described the case as a substantial development in anti-corruption efforts, with Helen Taylor, deputy director of the campaign group Spotlight on Corruption, characterizing the plea hearing as a milestone in one of the largest bribery investigations in recent years.
The SFO began its investigation over two years ago, underscoring ongoing efforts by UK authorities to address corporate corruption practices overseas. Both Beard and Gibson have denied the allegations, and their legal teams have indicated they will contest the charges at trial. Glencore, which is based in London and Baar, Switzerland, has not been formally charged in this matter.