The verdict comes as multinational companies like Rio Tinto are facing increasingly strict oversight into their business dealings worldwide, as both developed and developing countries gradually tighten enforcement of anti-corruption rules.
Stern Hu, an Australian executive of Rio Tinto, and his three Chinese co-workers pleaded guilty to charges of taking bribes in a three-day trial held last week. Their pleas on commercial espionage charges were unknown as those hearings were closed and lawyers said they were barred from commenting.
The court was due to issue a verdict and sentences Monday afternoon, Rio Tinto and the Australian government said. An Australian consular official was to attend the hearing. China warned against politicizing the case, while the Australian side lobbied for greater transparency and protested the court’s decision to close sessions handling the commercial secrets charges. But investigations aren’t limited to just China or Rio Tinto.
German automaker Daimler AG, accused of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes through subsidiaries to officials of at least 22 governments, including China, is among many companies snagged by the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it unlawful to bribe foreign government officials or company executives to secure or retain business.
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Asia’s biggest refiner, acknowledged Friday that Daimler AG had allegedly paid bribes to one of its employees. It urged the government to tighten oversight of lawbreaking foreign companies.
