Rio Tinto 4 plead guilty to charges of bribery
Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily |
March 23, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FOUR Rio Tinto employees on trial in Shanghai, including Australian national Stern Hu, yesterday pleaded guilty to taking bribes.
Their lawyers said Hu and three Chinese nationals - Liu Caikui, Ge Minqiang and Wang Yong - pleaded guilty but disputed the amounts they are alleged to have accepted.
They still face charges on stealing commercial secrets.
"Like the other three executives, Hu also pleaded guilty to the bribery part. He was very calm," said Tao Wuping, the lawyer for Liu.
Australia's Consul-General in Shanghai, Tom Connor, said that "during the course of the trial, Mr Hu made some admissions concerning those two bribery amounts."
Connor attended the hearing at the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court where Hu is accused of taking bribes worth 1 million yuan (US$146,500) and US$790,000.
Connor said the Australian government would issue a formal statement later but he did not say when.
Lawyers for the three Chinese defendants said their clients acknowledged taking bribes, but rejected some prosecution accusations.
"Part of the charge should not constitute a crime," Tao said, referring to Liu, who was charged with receiving 3.7 million yuan in bribes.
Wang admitted he was "guilty in part," his lawyer, Zhang Peihong, said.
Zhang said US$9 million Wang was accused of taking as a bribe was legitimate "profit from an iron ore deal."
The US$9 million was part of 70 million yuan that Wang was accused of taking as bribes, said Zhang.
The trial is scheduled to continue until tomorrow, with the commercial secrets charges likely to be heard today, the lawyers said.
The guilty pleas may be an embarrassment for Rio, which has been saying its employees are innocent and is again involved in tough iron ore price negotiations with China.
Rio Chief Executive Tom Albanese said in Beijing that he did not want to jeopardize business ties with China.
"This issue is obviously of great concern to us," Albanese told a forum of officials and executives.
"I can only say we respectfully await the outcome of the Chinese legal process."
Albanese said "we remain committed to strengthening our relationship with China, not just because you are our biggest customer, but because we see long-term business advantages for both of us."
The four employees from Rio's iron ore team, including Hu, were detained last July when Rio was acting as lead negotiator for global iron ore suppliers in price talks with Chinese steel mills. Hu was Rio Tinto's senior executive in China in charge of iron ore.
The four were also accused of seeking information about Chinese mines and mills.
Their lawyers said Hu and three Chinese nationals - Liu Caikui, Ge Minqiang and Wang Yong - pleaded guilty but disputed the amounts they are alleged to have accepted.
They still face charges on stealing commercial secrets.
"Like the other three executives, Hu also pleaded guilty to the bribery part. He was very calm," said Tao Wuping, the lawyer for Liu.
Australia's Consul-General in Shanghai, Tom Connor, said that "during the course of the trial, Mr Hu made some admissions concerning those two bribery amounts."
Connor attended the hearing at the Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court where Hu is accused of taking bribes worth 1 million yuan (US$146,500) and US$790,000.
Connor said the Australian government would issue a formal statement later but he did not say when.
Lawyers for the three Chinese defendants said their clients acknowledged taking bribes, but rejected some prosecution accusations.
"Part of the charge should not constitute a crime," Tao said, referring to Liu, who was charged with receiving 3.7 million yuan in bribes.
Wang admitted he was "guilty in part," his lawyer, Zhang Peihong, said.
Zhang said US$9 million Wang was accused of taking as a bribe was legitimate "profit from an iron ore deal."
The US$9 million was part of 70 million yuan that Wang was accused of taking as bribes, said Zhang.
The trial is scheduled to continue until tomorrow, with the commercial secrets charges likely to be heard today, the lawyers said.
The guilty pleas may be an embarrassment for Rio, which has been saying its employees are innocent and is again involved in tough iron ore price negotiations with China.
Rio Chief Executive Tom Albanese said in Beijing that he did not want to jeopardize business ties with China.
"This issue is obviously of great concern to us," Albanese told a forum of officials and executives.
"I can only say we respectfully await the outcome of the Chinese legal process."
Albanese said "we remain committed to strengthening our relationship with China, not just because you are our biggest customer, but because we see long-term business advantages for both of us."
The four employees from Rio's iron ore team, including Hu, were detained last July when Rio was acting as lead negotiator for global iron ore suppliers in price talks with Chinese steel mills. Hu was Rio Tinto's senior executive in China in charge of iron ore.
The four were also accused of seeking information about Chinese mines and mills.
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