Dismissing the ruling as politically motivated , the mining tycoon is to make one last attempt to overturn his conviction – at the Swiss federal court, The Swiss appeal court s upholding of a guilty verdict for corruption against mining tycoon Beny Steinmetz nearly ends the decade-long legal fight over Guinea s Simandou iron ore resources, the largest and best quality in the world. Two international consortia are set to produce ore at the site in 2027, some 30 years after the extent of the resources was first identified, according to industry sources and Switzerland s UBS bank.
, Thirteen years to the day after the Conakry stadium massacre that left 157 people dead, the trial officially opened against those held responsible. Three men the United Nations had identified as the main culprits are all in the dock, together with nine others. During the first hearings on 10 October, Colonel Moussa Tiegboro Camara denied any wrongdoing and instead accused Aboubacar Sidiki Toumba Diakité, at the time the head of the presidential guard, of having been the main perpetrator. Diakité will appear later.
Dropping earlier arguments that the evidence of corruption was fake, the mining magnate is appealing against his conviction by redefining bribery, Punishing foreign bribery is still a novel idea in Switzerland. There have been just 18 convictions since it became a crime in 2000, before which it was tax-deductible. And the prosecution of Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz is turning out to be a landmark test of Switzerland s judicial system as much for the legal technicalities and the noises off as for the substance.
, Prosecuting Beny Steinmetz, formerly one of the biggest mining magnates in Africa, has become a test case for Switzerland s efforts to tackle cases of foreign corruption. But it could be several months before the Swiss courts announce a final verdict in the prosecution case against Steinmetz and his associates Frédéric Cilins and Sandra Merloni-Horemans on charges of bribery in securing mining rights in Guinea.
Opposition politicians have lost patience with Guinea s military ruler, and plan to defy a ban on protest rallies, The announcement by Guinea s military junta that it would remain in power until mid-2025, and the imposition of a ban on demonstrations, have been denounced by opposition forces, who say they will now launch protests.