Rio Tinto plc

In March 2023 the SEC found that a consultant hired to help Rio Tinto keep its Simandou rights in Guinea offered an improper payment to an official. Rio Tinto paid a US$15 million penalty without admitting or denying the findings^S1^S2. The SFO closed its 2017 Guinea investigation in August 2023, finding a UK prosecution not in the public interest^S3^S7. In Australia, Rio Tinto agreed in 2022 to a A$750,000 penalty for one continuous disclosure breach over Mozambique coal assets^S6. A parliamentary committee reported in December 2020 that Rio Tinto let down the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples over Juukan Gorge^S4^S5.

Also known as: Rio Tinto, Rio Tinto Limited, Rio Tinto Group
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Records from: United States, United Kingdom, Australia
Current status: Operating dual-listed mining group with Rio Tinto plc in London and Rio Tinto Limited in Australia. It resolved the SEC's Guinea consultant matter for US$15 million in March 2023^S1^S2. The UK Serious Fraud Office closed its Guinea investigation in August 2023 without a UK prosecution^S7.

Scope. This record covers the Simandou consultant payment matter in Guinea, the 2020 Juukan Gorge destruction and the ASIC Mozambique disclosure case. It does not cover the separate SEC Mozambique case or other operations.

Claims assessed

4 claims. Scores grade the evidence for each claim, not the organization.

Supported86
The SEC found in March 2023 that a consultant working for Rio Tinto on its Simandou rights in Guinea offered an improper payment to a Guinean official and that the payments were not accurately recorded.
Regulator statement, 6 March 20233 records citedBribery
Outdated86
The UK Serious Fraud Office was investigating the Rio Tinto Group over suspected corruption in its Guinea business, as announced in July 2017.
Regulator statement, 24 July 20174 records citedBribery
Supported66
Rio Tinto said its 2022 settlement with ASIC over Mozambique coal disclosures involved no findings of fraud or of any systemic or widespread failure.
Company statement, 7 March 20222 records citedDisclosure
Supported73
A federal parliamentary committee said in December 2020 that Rio Tinto let down the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura peoples over the Juukan Gorge destruction and should return all artefacts.
Official report, 9 December 20203 records citedSafety

Cases and proceedings

In the Matter of Rio Tinto plcUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulatory. Not stated in the sources read.Stage: Final settled order
- 6 March 2023 Cease and desist order with a US$15 million civil penalty^S1
SFO investigation into the Rio Tinto GroupSerious Fraud Office (United Kingdom). Criminal. Not published.Stage: Closed in August 2023
- 24 August 2023 SFO records closure of the investigation without UK prosecution^S3^S7
Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Rio Tinto Limited and othersFederal Court of Australia. Civil. Not stated in the sources read.Stage: Settled in 2022
- 7 March 2022 Court-approved settlement with a A$750,000 penalty reported^S6

Responses on record

Rio Tinto, 10 December 2020, on A federal parliamentary committee said in December 2020 that Rio Tinto let down the Puutu ...
Rio Tinto said it acknowledged the report and repeated that the destruction should not have occurred.^S5
Rio Tinto plc, 6 March 2023, on The SEC found in March 2023 that a consultant working for Rio Tinto on its Simandou rights...
Rio Tinto described the matter as a previously self-disclosed investigation that it had resolved.^S2

Revision history

25 October 2026 Profile and 4 assessments first published. Records checked to 25 October 2026.

Source records

S1Tier A SEC Charges Rio Tinto plc with Bribery Controls FailuresUS Securities and Exchange Commission. Regulator press release. 6 March 2023.Supports the consultant facts, the charges and the penalty. The findings were not admitted or denied.
S3Tier C UK Closes Long-Running Rio Tinto, ENRC Probes With No Charge (3)Bloomberg Law. Press report. 24 August 2023.Report by Katharine Gemmell on the SFO closure and its stated reason.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S7Tier A Rio Tinto groupSerious Fraud Office. Regulator press release. 24 August 2023.SFO case page, first published 24 July 2017 and updated 24 August 2023, read on the SFO's Welsh language site. Supports the opening, the closure on public interest grounds and a live Australian Federal Police investigation as of August 2023.
S6Tier C Rio Tinto reaches settlement with ASIC over Moz coal disclosuresMining Weekly. Press report. 7 March 2022.Report by Tasneem Bulbulia on the ASIC settlement terms and Rio Tinto's characterisation.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S5Tier C 'Never again': Rio Tinto blasted over Juukan Gorge destructionAl Jazeera. Press report. 10 December 2020.Reports the recommendations and Rio Tinto's response. No byline is shown, and the core facts agree with the committee release.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S2Tier B Notice to ASX/LSE Rio Tinto resolves legacy U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission FCPA investigationRio Tinto plc. Company filing. 6 March 2023.Company statement of the settlement terms. It says nothing on the SFO or ASIC.
S4Tier A Never AgainParliament of Australia, House of Representatives. Government press release. 9 December 2020.Committee media release on the interim report. It does not set out the full findings. The report page on aph.gov.au loaded without text.Link working, checked 25 October 2026
S8Tier A A Way ForwardParliament of Australia, House of Representatives. Government press release. 18 October 2021.Committee media release on the final Juukan Gorge report and its eight recommendations on heritage law. It does not name Rio Tinto.Link working, checked 25 October 2026