Glencore's ex-head of oil charged with bribery offences by Britain's Serious Fraud Office

Glencore's former head of oil Alex Beard has been charged with bribery offences relating to the Swiss commodity trader's operations in Africa, Britain's Serious Fraud Office said on Thursday.

Beard, 56, is charged with two conspiracies to make corrupt payments to government officials and officials of state-owned oil companies in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014 and in Cameroon between 2007 and 2014, the SFO said.

He is one of five ex-Glencore employees charged with conspiracy to make corrupt payments.