Mining tycoon Steinmetz on trial over Guinea bribes Mining tycoon Beny Steinmetz has appeared in a Geneva court where he is facing trial for allegedly paying bribes to win lucrative mining rights in Guinea. Swiss prosecutors accuse Israeli-French mining magnate Beny Steinmetz and two others of having paid $10 million in bribes to obtain permits for lucrative iron-ore deposits in Guinea. The three are also accused of forging documents to cover up the bribery. Appearing in court in Geneva earlier this week, 64-year-old Steinmetz denied any role in the corruption or forgery linked to the exploration rights in the remote Simandou mountains in Guinea's southwest.