"Gertler received and distributed millions in bribes in connection to DRC mining deals, court papers allege", 10 august 2018

New documents related to a case in the UK high court suggest that controversial middleman Dan Gertler received and paid millions in bribes on behalf of Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) in Democratic Republic of Congo...The UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has been investigating ENRC for over five years, during which time the company has sought to block the disclosure of an internal investigation carried out by its former lawyers, Dechert. ENRC has even taken Dechert to court to dispute a £16 million legal bill...this case...has...revealed the new incriminating suggestions about ENRC’s dealings with Gertler. ENRC claims that Dechert over-reached its mandate, blew findings out of proportion, and provided material to the SFO and even to the media. Dechert and its lawyers deny this...Dechert says it found “evidence strongly suggesting widespread fraud, corruption, sanctions breaches and other wrongdoing reaching into the most senior levels of ENRC's management”...ENRC has rejected allegations of corruption in its dealings, and the company’s general counsel told...that the SFO case against ENRC should be closed...Other major companies have suffered following partnerships with Gertler, who was sanctioned by the US in December for “corrupt mining and oil deals” in DRC. In 2016 US hedge fund Och-Ziff admitted to its role in a bribery conspiracy in Africa and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Department of Justice, paying out over $400m as part of the deal... Glencore...has been seeking to distance itself from him following the Och-Ziff case and Gertler’s designation as a sanctioned individual...Gertler has consistently denied any wrongdoing in any of his transactions in DRC. Glencore has also refuted allegations of corruption in its deals with Gertler.