Dutch prosecutors have confirmed that corruption took place in connection with the acquisition of mining licenses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following an investigation launched in 2018.
The probe examined whether the company Fleurette, previously sanctioned by the United States, and the Swiss commodities giant Glencore had paid bribes to obtain mining rights at prices significantly below market value.
Investigators suspected that tens of millions of US dollars were paid to a senior adviser to former Congolese president Joseph Kabila, who governed the country from 2001 to 2019 and was known to be close to businessman Dan Gertler.
In a statement, the Dutch public prosecutor’s office said that by accepting a penal settlement order, it had concluded that Fleurette and other individuals were guilty of bribing foreign public officials in the DRC in connection with the acquisition of mining licenses.
Dutch investigators had previously dropped their case against Glencore after the company agreed to pay a fine to settle a separate corruption investigation in Switzerland.
The case highlights longstanding concerns over transparency and governance in Congo’s lucrative mining sector, one of the most resource-rich in the world.
Source: AfricaNews
