SNH denies Glencore’s bribery allegations
By Wilson Musa
The General Manager of the National Hydrocarbons Corporation, SNH, Adolphe Mudiki, has said that they only heard about the FCFA 7 billion alleged bribery given to SNH by Glencore to secure contracts.
The issue was brought to light by one-time Vice President of Transparency International and current Chairman of the International Anti Corruption Conference Council.
The 2018 Presidential candidate in a letter to Cameroon’s national anti-corruption body, CONAC, revealed that the oil exploitation company, Glencore confessed to having paid FCFA 7 billion to National Oil Refining company, SONARA, and National Hydrocarbons Corporation, SNH, in its years of existence in Cameroon to have contracts and avoid government interference and bottlenecks.
Lawyer for Glencore on 23/05 indicated his client will plead guilty to paying over 7billion CFA to corrupt officials of state owned companies SONARA & SNH to advantage Glencore’s operations in Cameroon. NOW, CONAC must choose; fight corruption or promote impunity! pic.twitter.com/V5jctXAT2D
— Akere Muna (@AkereMuna) May 28, 2022
The Lawyers representing the Swiss headquartered company confessed on May 23, 2022, Barrister Akera Muna said.
The legal mind urged the country’s anti-corruption commission to take prompt actions.
NOW, CONAC must choose; fight corruption or promote impunity!
But the General Manager of SNH said the company’s internal rules and regulations strictly forbid such practices.
“American and British authorities have been approached to bring proof that will allow us to determine the truth of these allegations,” the communique read.
The Financial Times in London reported on May 24, 2022, that Glencore was going to plead guilty to multiple crimes of bribery and market manipulation.
The commodity trading company was found guilty of bribery related to oil trading in Cameroon, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and South Sudan.
This follows investigations from the UK, US, and Brazil.
The management of SONARA is yet to react.
