RecordLens
Menu

Claim review. Bribery

Supported

The cited record supports the material proposition.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland said in October 2019 that Gunvor was held criminally liable over bribery of public officials in the Republic of Congo and Ivory Coast and must pay almost CHF 94 million.

About
Gunvor SA
Claim made by
Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, regulator statement
Published
17 October 2019
Original
Commodities trader Gunvor held criminally liable for acts of corruption
Evidence score
87 How it was scored
Last reviewed
25 October 2026

Why this label

The OAG release says Gunvor was convicted for failing to take all the organisational measures that were reasonable and necessary, which allowed employees and agents to bribe public officials for access to oil markets in the Republic of Congo and Ivory CoastS1. It orders almost CHF 94 million, including a fine of CHF 4 million. The DOJ later described this as a 2019 Swiss resolution in which Gunvor admitted it lacked sufficient controlsS3. The liability is for an organisational failure, not for Gunvor paying bribes itself. The claim as worded matches the record.

Current procedural position

Conviction by the Swiss OAG announced 17 October 2019S1. Treated as a concluded resolution by the US DOJ in March 2024S3.

Record supporting the assessment

failing to take all the organisational measures that were reasonable and necessary
S1 Tier A Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, Commodities trader Gunvor held criminally liable for acts of corruption, 17 October 2019
almost CHF 94 million, including a fine of CHF 4 million
S1 Tier A Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, Commodities trader Gunvor held criminally liable for acts of corruption, 17 October 2019
lacked sufficient controls to prevent the underlying misconduct
S3 Tier A US Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, Commodities Trading Company Will Pay Over $661M to Resolve Foreign Bribery Case, 1 March 2024

Conflicting or limiting record

No record located that conflicts with this assessment.

Evidence score: 87 of 100

The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Gunvor SA. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.

ComponentPointsMaxReason
Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition?2830The prosecutor's own release is a competent record.
DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts?1820The release states the liability and amount.
CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point?1115The DOJ release confirms the 2019 resolution.
Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes?1315The DOJ treats the matter as resolved, though the OAG page does not say it is final.
CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments?810We found no later record reopening the 2019 matter.
ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment?910Both releases are public.
Total87100

Timeline

  1. Swiss OAG holds Gunvor criminally liableS1
  2. DOJ cites the 2019 Swiss resolution as prior misconductS2S3

Related cases

Revision history

  • Assessment first published with label Supported.

Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.

Sources

  1. S1Tier A Commodities trader Gunvor held criminally liable for acts of corruptionOffice of the Attorney General of Switzerland. Regulator press release. 17 October 2019.Supports the 2019 corporate liability and the amount. It does not state the years of conduct or whether the order was appealed.
  2. S3Tier A Commodities Trading Company Will Pay Over $661M to Resolve Foreign Bribery CaseUS Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. Regulator press release. 1 March 2024.Supports the amounts, the Swiss parallel payment and the 2019 admission on controls. It does not detail the Swiss 2024 order.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
  3. S2Tier A Gunvor S.A. Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Bribe Ecuadorian Officials and Ordered to Pay Over $600 Million in Criminal PenaltiesUS Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York. Regulator press release. 1 March 2024.Supports the plea, the sentence, the docket number and the factors in sentencing. It is not the plea agreement itself.Link working, checked 25 October 2026

Other claims about Gunvor SA