A material part is supported, but the published wording goes beyond the record.
A January 2025 Bloomberg report carried by swissinfo said Trafigura was convicted of bribery by a Swiss court over payments to an Angolan official.
Trafigura and Ex-COO Convicted of Bribery by Swiss Court
- Claim made by
- SWI swissinfo.ch, press report
- Published
- 31 January 2025
- Evidence score
- 68 How it was scored
- Last reviewed
- 25 October 2026
Why this label
The report says the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona found Trafigura Beheer BV guilty of not having sufficient systems in place to prevent briberyS2. Swiss public broadcaster SRF reported that the company was found guilty and that the verdict was not finalS8. The court ordered a fine of CHF 3 million and a payment of US$145.6 million to the Swiss Confederation. A conviction is supported. The headline goes further on two points. The company was convicted of an organisational failure, not of paying bribes itself. The verdict was a first instance decision open to appeal, and Bloomberg reported in December 2025 that Trafigura appealedS3. The court's own release and judgment could not be reached, and we found no appeal ruling.
Current procedural position
Convicted at first instance by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court on 31 January 2025S2. Appeal filed by Trafigura, reported 10 December 2025, pending as of October 2026S3.
Record supporting the assessment
found guilty of not having sufficient systems in place to prevent bribery
appealed a landmark Swiss court decision
Auch das Unternehmen Trafigura selbst wurde schuldig gesprochen.
Conflicting or limiting record
is a preliminary decision that can be appealed
Das Urteil ist noch nicht rechtskräftig.
Evidence score: 68 of 100
The score grades how well the record establishes this assessment. It is not a score of Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd.. Score = source authority + directness + corroboration + procedural accuracy + currency + reproducibility.
| Component | Points | Max | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source authorityIs the source competent to establish the proposition? | 18 | 30 | The verdict is known from press reports, not the judgment. |
| DirectnessDoes the source state the proposition or only discuss adjacent facts? | 16 | 20 | The report states the finding and the penalties. |
| CorroborationDo independent records support the same material point? | 11 | 15 | Bloomberg and SRF, from separate news groups, agree on the conviction. |
| Procedural accuracyDoes the record settle the procedural state the claim describes? | 7 | 15 | The verdict is under appeal. |
| CurrencyHas the record been checked against later developments? | 8 | 10 | The December 2025 appeal report was checked. We found no appeal ruling. |
| ReproducibilityCan a reader locate the passage and repeat the assessment? | 8 | 10 | The swissinfo page is public and the appeal report is partly paywalled. |
| Total | 68 | 100 |
Timeline
Related cases
- Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland v Trafigura Beheer BV and othersSwiss Federal Criminal Court, Bellinzona. Criminal. Not published on the pages we read.Stage: Appeal pending
Responses
- Trafigura, 31 January 2025: Trafigura said it was disappointed by the decision and was reviewing the matter.S2
Revision history
- Assessment first published with label Partly supported.
Have a record that changes this assessment? See corrections and responses.
Sources
- S2Tier C Trafigura and Ex-COO Convicted of Bribery by Swiss CourtSWI swissinfo.ch (Bloomberg). Press report. 31 January 2025.Reports the first instance Swiss conviction, the penalties and Trafigura's reaction. It is not the judgment.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S3Tier C Trafigura Appeals Swiss Conviction Over Bribery ControlsBloomberg Government (Archie Hunter and Hugo Miller). Press report. 10 December 2025.Reports that Trafigura appealed. The appeal court and hearing date were not visible on the page.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
- S8Tier C Rohstoffkonzern Trafigura vor Bundesstrafgericht schuldig gesprochenSRF (Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen), with sda. Press report. 31 January 2025.Swiss public broadcaster report of the first instance verdict and that it was not final and could go to the appeals chamber and the Federal Supreme Court. It is not the judgment.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
Other claims about Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd.
- Supported87The US Department of Justice said in March 2024 that Trafigura pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA over bribes to Brazilian officials and would pay over US$126 million.Regulator statement, 28 March 20242 records citedBribery
- Unresolved50Trafigura says on its Probo Koala page that neither deaths, nor miscarriages or serious illnesses could have been caused by the slops dumped in Abidjan in 2006.Company statement, 12 October 20213 records citedSafety
- Partly supported73Trafigura describes its July 2010 Dutch fine of EUR 1 million as a ruling on a technical breach of the provisions for exporting waste from the European Union.Company statement, 12 October 20214 records citedSafety