Glencore’s billionaire former head of oil trading has pleaded ⁠not guilty ⁠to ​two bribery charges after allegedly facilitating payments to west African officials in order to advance the Swiss commodity group’s operations ⁠in the continent.

Alex Beard, 59, denied two counts of conspiracy to make ⁠corrupt payments at London’s Southwark crown court on Thursday, in a case brought by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

The oil trader, who emerged from obscurity when he was revealed as a billionaire during Glencore’s flotation on the London Stock Exchange in 2011, ‌is alleged to have been involved in ‌a conspiracy to make corrupt payments ‌to government or state-owned oil company officials in Nigeria between 2010 and 2014 and in Cameroon between 2007 and 2014.

A relaxed looking Beard, wearing an open neck shirt and sports jacket, appeared in the dock alongside his former deputy, Andrew Gibson, who was Glencore’s head of oil operations. Gibson also denied four counts ​of conspiracy to make corrupt payments in Nigeria, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire.

Gibson, 66, also pleaded not guilty to an ⁠additional charge of conspiracy to falsify documents ​required ​for an accounting purpose.

Four ​other former Glencore traders – Martin Wakefield, David Perez, Paul Hopkirk, Ramon Labiaga – previously pleaded not guilty to all charges in the same case last year.

The six defendants are due to stand trial next year.

An SFO spokesperson said: “We continue to progress our bribery case against six former Glencore employees ahead of trial on 4 October 2027.”