A London court rejected Nigeria’s attempt to recover damages from a British affiliate of mining and trading company Glencore (GLEN. L) for bribes given to employees of the country’s state oil company.
Nigerian officials should address the court on November 2 and 3; when Glencore Energy is to be sentence after pleading guilty to seven counts of bribery in connection with oil operations in five African countries, including Nigeria; according to lawyers for the country who appeared before London’s Southwark Crown Court.
Nigeria, however, does not have the right to a hearing according to Judge Peter Fraser; as only the prosecution, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and the defence were to present their cases during the sentencing hearing.
Due to the fact that two of the charges to which Glencore Energy has pleaded guilty involve payments made to representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria claimed in written arguments that it is “an identifiable victim of Glencore’s admitted criminal activity.”
A lawyer for Glencore Energy, told the court that her client rejected the “attack on the corporate morals of Glencore; despite the claim made by Nigeria’s attorneys that Glencore is unwilling to discuss the issue of compensation.