Key facts
- Alex Beard, Glencore's former head of oil trading, pleaded not guilty to bribery charges.
- The charges relate to alleged facilitation of payments to West African officials.
- Beard allegedly conspired to make corrupt payments in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014 and in Cameroon between 2007 and 2014.
- Andrew Gibson, former head of oil operations at Glencore, also pleaded not guilty to multiple bribery and document falsification charges.
- Four other former Glencore traders have also pleaded not guilty.
- The trial for the six defendants is set for October 4, 2027.
Alex Beard, Glencore's former head of oil trading, pleaded not guilty to two bribery charges at Southwark crown court on Thursday. The case, brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), alleges that Beard, 59, facilitated payments to West African officials between 2010 and 2014 in Nigeria and between 2007 and 2014 in Cameroon to advance the Swiss commodity group's operations.
Beard, who became a billionaire during Glencore's 2011 flotation, appeared relaxed in court. He was joined by his former deputy, Andrew Gibson, 66, who also denied four counts of conspiracy to make corrupt payments in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Côte d'Ivoire. Gibson further pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of conspiracy to falsify documents for accounting purposes.
Last year, four other former Glencore traders – Martin Wakefield, David Perez, Paul Hopkirk, and Ramon Labiaga – also pleaded not guilty to all charges related to the same case. A spokesperson for the SFO confirmed that the bribery case against the six former Glencore employees is progressing towards a trial scheduled for October 4, 2027.