Israeli businessman Beny Steinmetz on Tuesday denied any role in corruption or forgery linked to mining rights his company secured in Guinea, describing himself as the owner and company ambassador but not the boss.
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Steinmetz was indicted in August 2019 by a Geneva prosecutor who accused him and two aides of paying, or having paid, $10 million in bribes to obtain exploration permits for some of the world's richest iron-ore deposits in the remote Simandou mountains of Guinea.
Steinmetz and his aides deny the charges. If convicted he could face up to 10 years in prison.
At his court appearance on Tuesday, Steinmetz, wearing a dark blue suit and tie, repeatedly referred to himself as a "spokesman" or "ambassador" for Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR).
