Zambia questions ex-minister over alleged Glencore political fee

Zambia’s Anti-Corruption Fee has opened an investigation into an alleged fee made by Glencore, the London-listed buying and selling home, to an unnamed political social gathering.

The probe within the southern African nation is the most recent headache for Glencore, which has been attempting to show over a contemporary leaf below new chief government Gary Nagle.

The Swiss-based buying and selling home was convicted of bribery and market manipulation in Might following US, UK and Brazilian investigations, and has put aside $1.5bn to pay these fines. Glencore’s Zambian operations weren’t named in these circumstances.

The Zambian investigation, which is unrelated to the sooner US and UK investigations, centres on an alleged fee made in 2016.

The Anti-Corruption Fee mentioned in an announcement that it had interrogated Davies Chama, a former defence minister below ex-president Edgar Lungu, “to assist with investigations in reference to a matter during which cash amounting to US$3mn was paid to a named political social gathering in 2016 by Glencore Worldwide AG”.

The assertion goes on: “The investigations border on the circumstances below which these funds have been paid by the mentioned mining agency to a political social gathering quickly after which the agency exited Zambia below unfavourable phrases to the Authorities of the Republic of Zambia.”

Glencore exited Zambia in 2021, 5 years after the alleged fee.

Zambia’s president, Hakainde Hichilema, gained a landslide election victory final 12 months over Lungu’s former ruling Patriotic Entrance, which had launched into a push to nationalise copper mines, the nation’s main supply of exports, amid a debt disaster.

Lungu’s authorities suffered years of tense relations with worldwide buyers in Zambia’s copper mines, comparable to Glencore and First Quantum, over points comparable to taxes and the de facto seizure of Vedanta’s KCM operation in 2019.

Glencore bought a controlling stake in its Mopani Copper Mines operation to Zambia’s state mining investor months earlier than the 2021 election, together with the switch of $1.5bn in loans at a time when Zambia had defaulted on worldwide obligations, together with US greenback bonds.

The Zambian authorities promised to repay the loans to Glencore from future copper output. Glencore retains advertising and marketing rights for the copper till the debt has been paid.

Misconduct investigations into the Swiss buying and selling home are ongoing within the Netherlands and in Switzerland.

Glencore mentioned in an announcement that it had “engaged in good religion negotiations with the Zambian authorities over an prolonged interval (2020-2021) to agree a mutually acceptable transaction which was overtly and transparently disclosed to all stakeholders”.

“Any suggestion of improper conduct referring to the sale of Mopani to [Zambia’s state mine investor] is baseless,” it added.

Glencore mentioned in Might it had taken vital steps to boost its ethics and compliance programme. “Glencore at this time will not be the corporate it was when the unacceptable practices behind this misconduct occurred,” chair Kalidas Madhavpeddi mentioned in Might.

Hichilema’s authorities has pledged to revive overseas funding in Zambia’s copper manufacturing, comparable to a take care of First Quantum this 12 months to increase the lifetime of a serious mine.