Swiss corruption trial of Trafigura set for December
The trial of will probe payments made by Trafigura in Angola
Keystone / Salvatore Di Nolfi
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Swiss corruption trial of Trafigura set for December
The Swiss trial of Trafigura Group and its former Chief Operating Officer Mike Wainwright on corruption charges has been scheduled for December — in a case that’s likely to shine a renewed light on allegations of wrongdoing in commodity trading.
The Swiss federal prosecutor’s office announced the charges against Wainwright, Trafigura, and two other individuals late last year. The website of Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court was recently updated to show that the trial is scheduled to run for seven days in early December, with a further seven days shown as reserve dates.
It will be the first time such a senior executive at a commodity trading firm has faced trial on corruption charges. Wainwright spent his whole career at Trafigura and for the past decade was one of the top trio who ran the company, one of the world’s largest traders of oil, gas and metals, before stepping down as COO last year.
A spokesperson for the Federal Criminal Court confirmed the trial date for the Trafigura case. A spokesperson for Trafigura declined to comment, while a lawyer for Wainwright didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. Wainwright has denied the charges, while Trafigura — which pleaded guilty to separate corruption charges in the US in March — has said it will defend itself in court.
More
More
Swiss trading hub adapts to new wartime reality
This content was published on
After Switzerland joined EU sanctions targeting Russia, its commodities trading sector is having to face up to new economic realities.
When they first announced the case, the Swiss prosecutors alleged that Wainwright approved bank transfers and cash payments totaling around $5 million to the head of a unit of Angola’s state oil company Sonangol between 2009 and 2011. The Angolan official was also charged, as was an intermediary who was described as a former Trafigura employee.
The case is one of several high-profile corruption cases to target individual commodity traders in recent months. Earlier this month, the UK’s top fraud agency charged Alex Beard, Glencore Plc’s former head of oil, and four other former employees with corruption.
And a New York court in February found former Vitol Group trader Javier Aguilar guilty on three bribery and money-laundering charges after a seven-week trial.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Personal care products affect indoor air quality, warns Swiss study
This content was published on
A Swiss study claims that typical personal care products can have a ‘significant impact’ on air quality when used in enclosed spaces.
Government estimates for first time Switzerland’s carbon budget up to 2050
This content was published on
The Swiss government predicts that the country will produce around 660 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents for the 2020-2050 period if it meets its climate targets.
Switzerland imposes entry ban on far-right Austrian activist Martin Sellner
This content was published on
Switzerland has imposed an entry ban on the far-right Austrian extremist Martin Sellner. This prevents him from speaking at an event planned by the Swiss Junge Tat far-right group in canton Zurich.
Security firm Sicpa cuts jobs in western Switzerland
This content was published on
Sicpa, a company specialising in security inks, announced on Thursday that it plans to cut up to 120 jobs in canton Vaud, citing a complicated international economic context and geopolitical tensions.
UK resumes trade talks with Switzerland in ‘Global Britain’ push
This content was published on
British and Swiss trade negotiators will resume trade talks on Monday as they seek to broker deeper access to each other’s financial services markets as well as agreements on data sharing and worker visas.
Swiss army suspends CHF320m project for airspace surveillance
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament approved almost CHF320 million for "Skyview" airspace surveillance system. The reason for the suspension is problems with the integration of the system.
Murdered student: Paris asks Bern to extradite suspect
This content was published on
On Wednesday, France submitted an extradition request to the Swiss authorities for the man suspected of murdering Philippine. This was announced Thursday morning by the French Minister of Justice, Didier Migaud, on BFMTV.
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.