At Southwark Crown Court, Mr Justice Fraser, said that ‘the facts demonstrate not only significant criminality but sophisticated devices to disguise it’ before sentencing the commodities trading giant to pay a financial penalty in response to the seven charges of bribery that ‘represent sophisticated offending that was sustained over prolonged periods of time’.

The judge remarked on the culture that developed at Glencore ‘in which bribery was accepted as part of the West Africa desk’s way of doing business… The corruption is of extended duration… It was endemic amongst traders on that particular desk… Bribery is a highly corrosive offence. It quite literally corrupts people and companies, and spreads like a disease.’

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