Today, a first group of 16 residents from the Democratic Republic of Congo stepped forward as potential victims in the Serious Fraud Office’s corruption investigation into Kazakh multinational mining company, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC). UK corporate watchdog, RAID, said it expected more to join. 

The victim group includes local chiefs, community representatives and former workers at the Kingamyambo Musonoi Tailings (KMT) mine... 

In a short film and a 112-page report released today, RAID and Congolese civil society organisation AFREWATCH detail the harm caused by the abrupt closure of the KMT mine and identify 32,000 Congolese residents and 700 former workers who were negatively impacted. The report is based on 12 months of research during which interviews were conducted with 306 individuals. RAID also analysed more than 2,000 pages of relevant documents linked to the KMT mining contract and other legal documents...

In April 2013, the SFO, launched a criminal investigation into ENRC for alleged fraud, bribery and corruption... To date, no charges have been filed, and the investigation is ongoing. ENRC denies any wrongdoing and in 2019 launched legal action against the SFO over its investigation. The company points out that the original owners of the KMT mine lost their licence in August 2009, a year before ENRC purchased it...