Ex-Gunvor employee faces corruption charges for Congo dealings in top Swiss court

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) - An ex-Gunvor employee faces allegations of corrupting high-level officials in the Republic of Congo in exchange for oil contracts at a trial before a top Swiss court that began on Monday.

The case is a rare incident of a corruption case involving Switzerland's $80 billion commodities trading sector going to court.

Swiss prosecutors started investigating the Geneva-based Gunvor in 2011 as part of an ongoing probe. Two judgments have already been issued: a 2018 court ruling accepting an ex-employee's plea bargain where he admitted to paying bribes in Congo and Ivory Coast and another in 2019 that found the company criminally liable for corruption.

It was ordered to pay around 94 million Swiss francs ($111.5 million) by the court.

"We have no comment, as Gunvor is not a party to the procedure or trial. All matters were concluded in 2019," a Gunvor spokesperson said.

Reuters did not name the defendant, who no longer works for Gunvor, because Swiss law forbids it, barring rare exceptions. He categorically denies the charges, his lawyer told Reuters.

Court documents allege the defendant, a French national who worked as a finance manager, took "an active part" in corrupt payments worth over $35 million to Congolese officials between 2010-2011.

The indictment also alleges he offered benefits to a Congolese official representing the son of President Denis Sassou Nguesso at a Paris restaurant in 2014 in exchange for new oil deals.

Among the evidence, it cites a video recording of the meeting where it says the defendant revealed he was aware of past payments to Congolese officials. It said he also knew about prosecutors' ongoing corruption probe because he had already been interviewed in that context.

Agathe Duparc from campaign group Public Eye who has investigated the case separately said the trial could play a role in deterring others.

"These cases are not usually heard in public and that could play a role in both revealing the chain of responsibility and preventing future incidents," she said.

The case is set to run until Wednesday at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

($1 = 0.8430 Swiss francs)

(Additional reporting by Julia Payne; editing by David Evans)