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Swiss police have raided the Geneva home of Israeli diamond billionaire Beny Steinmetz in connection with an international investigation into mining rights corruption in Guinea, West Africa.
The raid took place on August 30, the day after Swiss and French police raided offices in Geneva belonging to Steinmetz-linked company Onyx Financial Advisers, a source close to the investigation told Metal Bulletin sister publication Steel First.
Steinmetz is understood to not have been at the address, located close to Lake Geneva, at the time of the raid.
No documents were removed from the property as part of the raid, Steel First understands.
Henri della Casa, spokesman for the Swiss prosecutor’s office could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.
Steinmetz-linked companies are now under investigation in six different jurisdictions in connection with allegations of fraud and corruption.
Justice departments in Guernsey, the UK, Switzerland, France, the USA and Guinea are investigating Steinmetz-linked companies in connection with allegations of mining licence fraud in Guinea, .
BSG Resources is the mining division of a diversified group of companies with interests in diamonds, real estate and finance, which all bear Beny Steinmetz’s name.
Last year, the government of Guinea launched an investigation into BSG Resources relating to its acquisition of rights to mine Simandou, one of the world’s largest untapped reserves of iron ore.
BSG resources acquired its Simandou concession from military dictator Lansana Conte in 2008, weeks before the late Guinean leader’s death. The mining company then sold on half its concession to Brazilian mining major Vale in 2010 for $2.5 billion.
BSG Resources has strongly denied any wrongdoing in relation to the company’s acquisition of its Simandou licence.
A BSG Resources spokesman declined to comment on the raid.
Michelle Madsen mmadsen@steelfirst.com Twitter: @mmadsen_SF