Netherlands-based holding company fined €25.8M for bribing gov't official in Congo
Fleurette Properties Ltd., a Netherlands-registered holding company linked to Israeli diamond and commodities trader Dan Gertler, must pay a 25.8 million euros fine for bribing a government official in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service said Tuesday.
Prosecutors issued a penalty order on March 6 after a long-running investigation into foreign bribery tied to mining licenses in Congo. By accepting the penalty order, prosecutors said it is established that Fleurette, together with others, was guilty of foreign public bribery in the DRC in connection with the acquisition of mining licenses.”
The investigation began in 2018 when the Anti-Corruption Center of the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, known as FIOD, opened a criminal probe under the direction of the Public Prosecution Service. The investigation targeted Fleurette and Swiss commodities trader Glencore International AG.
Fleurette operated between 2010 and 2017 as the top holding company of a group of businesses active in mining, oil, and gold extraction. The company was reportedly registered in the Netherlands due to the country’s corporate and tax environment and did not conduct mining operations itself.
Swiss prosecutors also conducted an investigation into bribery linked to mining operations in Congo. That probe resulted in a penalty order against Glencore International AG on Aug. 5, 2024. Following that decision, Dutch prosecutors dropped their case against the Swiss company.
