The Cameroonian Barrister Akere Muna, involved in the large-scale corruption case between the Anglo-Swiss trader Glencore and officials in the oil sector in Africa, including in Cameroon, accuses the Anglo-Swiss firm, as well as senior officials of the Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH) and the Société Nationale de Raffinage (Sonara), of stalling tactics.
In a message posted on Facebook, the Cameroonian lawyer writes:
“The delaying tactics of the chief corrupter Glencore and the corrupt senior officials of SNH and SONARA fool no one. They only perpetuate impunity. Glencore, by pleading guilty and signing the Plea Agreement, committed to cooperating with Cameroonian investigative authorities (article 12 of the agreement).
“However, according to the agreement, Glencore’s commitments are only valid for 3 years (article 1 of the agreement). So, starting next year, Glencore is no longer obliged to cooperate. SNH, SONARA, and the Ministry of Finance cannot obtain information from Glencore’s offices in London or New York.
“Cameroonian investigators (CONAC, ANIF, JUDICIAL POLICE, TCS) can easily summon Glencore to provide the necessary information, and non-compliance could result in a notification to the U.S. Department of Justice. SNH and SONARA can also demand information from Glencore Cameroon, and if they do not cooperate, they can cancel their contracts for fraud”.
Barrister Akere Muna adds: “Glencore admitted to paying bribes to secure favorable business terms. This is fraud. It is clear that the chief corrupter Glencore, along with the corrupt senior officials of SONARA and SNH, fool no one. The truth will come out, justice will prevail, and Cameroonians will get their money back. ‘Man no run’!” concludes the former presidential candidate.
To put pressure on this large-scale corruption case involving the Anglo-Swiss trader Glencore and officials in the oil sector in Africa, including Cameroon, Akere Muna announced a march in the United Kingdom to reveal the names of Cameroonian officials who benefited from bribes from the Anglo-Swiss trader.
To fully understand this case, we need to go back to the end of 2022. On November 3rd of that year, the British justice system fined the Anglo-Swiss trader 276 million pounds sterling (162.73 billion FCFA) after the company pleaded guilty to acts of corruption to secure oil contracts in five African countries, including Cameroon.
“Corruption was clearly part of the culture of a number of staff members in the West Africa office. The charges represent a sophisticated offense that took place over extended periods of time measured in years,” commented Judge Peter Fraser of the Southwark Crown Court in London.
Several Billion in Bribes in Cameroon
Appearing before the British justice system in May 2022, Glencore admitted to making approximately $79.6 million (about 50 billion FCFA) in payments to intermediary companies to obtain undue advantages and maintain contracts with public and state-controlled entities in certain African countries: Nigeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, and South Sudan.
According to a statement made by a lawyer for the Anglo-Swiss multinational on May 24, 2022, about 7 billion FCFA in bribes were paid to officials of the Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH) and the Société Nationale de Raffinage (Sonara) to favor Glencore’s operations in Cameroon.
“It is brought to the attention of the national and international public that SNH is neither remotely nor directly associated with such practices, which are strictly prohibited by its internal regulations,” responded the Administrator-General Director (ADG) of SNH in a statement published on May 30, 2022.
Adolphe Moudiki nevertheless indicated that the American and British authorities had been contacted to provide the elements that would establish the veracity of these “allegations” against the company he has led since 1993. After these denials, and especially after requesting and obtaining from the Head of State, between 2023 and 2024, the opening of an investigation into the possible involvement of SNH executives in this corruption scandal, the ADG of this state-owned company followed up on August 2, 2024.
In a statement published last week, “the Administrator-General Director of SNH, Minister Adolphe Moudiki, informs the national and international public that the managers and employees of Glencore, who committed acts of corruption to the detriment of SNH, have been identified and will appear before the Westminster Court in London on September 10, 2024.
“This information, which has just been made public, marks a significant step forward in the search for truth in this sordid affair. SNH, which filed a complaint with the Special Criminal Court (TCS) on November 6, 2023, to identify the Cameroonian accomplices of these acts of corruption, is confident that the outcome of the procedure in London will accelerate the investigations at the TCS level.”
A ridiculous move, according to the former president of the Cameroon Bar Association and vice president of Transparency International, Akere Tabeng Muna.
“I read SNH’s press release and find it rather absurd. When I exposed the Glencore corruption scandal more than two years ago, SNH claimed there could be no corruption because it was prohibited by their internal regulations. Now, when the UK’s Serious Fraud Office makes public the names of former Glencore employees indicted for corruption, we are informed by a statement that a complaint was filed in September 2023. (…)
“They are now rushing to inform us of a complaint filed last year, perhaps because of the imminent revelation of names by the English courts. Against whom is the complaint and what are the allegations?” asks Maitre Akere Muna.
