Rio Tinto Employees Indicted for Stealing Trade Secrets
- 14 years ago
A Chinese court gave indictments to four employees of the British-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto on Wednesday. They’ve been charged with “stealing trade secrets and receiving bribes.”
The indictments—reported through state-run Xinhua news agency—are the latest in a case that has angered the Australian government, and has left Western companies worried about their operations in China.
Among those charged is China-born Australian citizen Stern Hu. Hu was a lead-iron ore negotiator. After being detained last July, he was held for a month without formal charges, was not allowed to see his family or to contact a lawyer.
In the most detailed explanation of the charges so far, the prosecutors this week alleged the employees had requested and received bribes from China’s state-owned steel companies.
Rio Tinto has said their employees have not done anything wrong.
A trial is expected to be held later this month or in early March.
The indictments—reported through state-run Xinhua news agency—are the latest in a case that has angered the Australian government, and has left Western companies worried about their operations in China.
Among those charged is China-born Australian citizen Stern Hu. Hu was a lead-iron ore negotiator. After being detained last July, he was held for a month without formal charges, was not allowed to see his family or to contact a lawyer.
In the most detailed explanation of the charges so far, the prosecutors this week alleged the employees had requested and received bribes from China’s state-owned steel companies.
Rio Tinto has said their employees have not done anything wrong.
A trial is expected to be held later this month or in early March.