RTS reports that the Geneva headquarters of commodity trader Gunvor was raided on a warrant from the Swiss federal prosecutor's office (MPC) in May, as part of criminal proceedings against persons unknown on suspicion of bribing foreign public officials. The raid was carried out by the Federal Office of Police and confirmed to Keystone-ATS by an MPC spokesperson, who noted that the presumption of innocence applies and that no further details would be provided given the ongoing nature of the proceedings.

The case was first revealed by NGO Public Eye, whose investigation implicates an oil contract concluded in Gabon in 2024 under opaque conditions and exposes a parallel payment system allegedly set up to remunerate intermediaries in Africa.

Gunvor denied the allegations, stating that "Gunvor has never seen, nor had knowledge of, such a contract" and that the MPC proceedings target unknown persons, not the company itself. Gunvor added that it is committed to fully cooperating with the investigating authorities.

This is not the first time Gunvor has faced such proceedings. The company was convicted by the MPC in 2019 for criminal liability in connection with acts of corruption in Congo and Côte d'Ivoire, and again in 2024 for criminal liability linked to corruption in Ecuador, raising broader questions about corporate accountability in commodity trading and the governance of natural resource contracts in Africa.