Published on : 04/06/2022 – 07:09
On May 24, 2022, Glencore, the Swiss oil trading giant, admitted to American justice that it had paid nearly one hundred million dollars in bribes to officials and public agents in eight countries around the world. In Africa, in Cameroon, where the National Hydrocarbons Company was cited by Glencore, the affair caused a stir. The opposition is calling for an investigation. In Côte d’Ivoire, on the other hand, the case goes unnoticed when Glencore has nevertheless admitted to having bribed officials in the oil sector during the presidency of Laurent Gbagbo.
Between 2007 and 2010, Glencore officials paid bribes totaling $4 million to Ivorian oil officials. A sum, which, according to the Swiss trader, enabled him to make 30 million dollars in profits on purchases of oil shipments.
The Ivorian government says it has not been seized
These confessions were made before American and British judges. They constitute a small part of the facts of corruption recognized by Glencore in its worldwide activities. With regard to Côte d’Ivoire, it is not known which public officials and officials benefited from these bribes. The agreement concluded with the American justice does not specify it. For the moment, in Côte d’Ivoire the case does not move many people. The Ivorian government says it has not been seized by American justice.
No investigation by the Ivorian justice yet
The Ivorian justice, for its part, might very well investigate but nothing has yet been undertaken in this direction, according to a member of the government. However, several voices have been raised to suggest that African countries investigate these practices of which they are the victims. This is the case, for example, of Helen Clark, the president of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Itie), who suggests to Côte d’Ivoire, but also to Cameroon, the DRC and Nigeria to examine these cases, and intervene quickly.
►Also read : What share for the Ivorian State in the oil from the “Baleine” field? (December 17, 2021)
