Criminal complaint filed against Swiss trader Kolmar for alleged oil smuggling
Civil society groups have accused the Zug-based oil trader Kolmar of complicity in war crimes related to the purchase of oil from war-torn Libya.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
In the complaint filed with the Swiss attorney general’s office on Thursday, non-governmental organisation TRIAL International alleges that Kolmar Group illegally smuggled oil from Libya between 2014 and 2015.
On Saturday, TRIAL International published a statementExternal link explaining that the complaint is based on an investigation conducted with NGO Public Eye that traced the transnational oil trading network originating in Libya.
According to the investigationExternal link, Kolmar purchased more than 50,000 tonnes of gasoil from Libya, which, with the help of armed groups and a series of middlemen, were diverted and stored in Malta.
If a company knowingly buys stolen raw materials from a country at war, it can be found guilty of complicity in pillaging, says the NGO. This is considered a war crime under both international law and Swiss criminal law.
“There were a significant number of indicators, all of which were in the red, that should have deterred Kolmar from carrying out these transactions,” says Philip Grant, Executive Director of TRIAL International.
Libya has been consumed in a violent battle for political control, which erupted in 2014.
In April, following the NGO investigation, Kolmar put out a statementExternal link denying involvement in any smuggling operations. It added that it had complied with customer due diligence procedures known as Know Your Customer (KYC), which are standard in the industry.
The company also said that it paid market prices for Libyan gasoil, not below-market, which would be an indication of smuggling activity. It also asserts that roughly 90% of the gasoil handled in Malta was of non-Libyan origin.
According to Keystone-SDA news agency, the attorney general’s office confirms it received the complaint.
More
More
Swiss call for political solution to Libya fighting
This content was published on
The Swiss government has urged all parties in the military conflict in Libya to agree to a truce that would allow humanitarian operations to proceed.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss commodities trader under scrutiny over South Sudan payments
This content was published on
In December 2018, the United States placed retired Israeli Defence Forces Major General Israel Ziv under sanctions over the sales of weapons and ammunition to the government and opposition in South Sudan. “Ziv has been paid through the oil industry and has had close collaboration with a major multi-national oil firm,” the U.S. Department of Treasury noted in its decision,…
How do traders ensure due diligence in high-risk countries?
This content was published on
The high number of corruption allegations in the commodities sector raises the question of how traders ensure due diligence in high-risk states.
Swiss prosecutors search Vitol and Trafigura offices as part of Car Wash probe
This content was published on
Swiss investigators have searched the Geneva offices of commodity traders Vitol and Trafigura at the request of Brazilian federal prosecutors.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.