Articles

A recent ruling by the ‘Marktenhof’ (Court of Appeal) highlights a critical gap in Belgium’s financial enforcement system. Minority shareholders challenged a decision by the financial watchdog FSMA, but were denied a substantive review. The court held that it lacks jurisdiction to reassess the case on its merits. The outcome raises serious concerns about accountability and judicial oversight in market abuse cases. Palace of Justice of Brussels A controversial FSMA decision In

Korea Zinc's ambitious $6.6 billion plan to build cutting-edge smelting infrastructure in the United States represents exactly the kind of investment Washington seeks. The strategy is clear: extract critical minerals domestically, reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains, and secure Tennessee's zinc operations as the foundation for American mineral independence. On paper, it's a win-win. In reality, it may be built on contested legal ground. A Foundation Built on Disputed Own

After acquiring Nyrstar’s U.S. assets from Trafigura, Korea Zinc is planning to invest $6.6 billion in building a state-of-the-art smelter allowing it to extract critical minerals. The operation includes acquiring Nyrstar's Tennessee mines and smelter from Trafigura, alongside the U.S. This in an effort to allow the U.S. to regain independence from China in the critical minerals market. But there's a critical risk: Trafigura may not be legally in position to sell what it inte

The Market Court recently received a petition for the annulment and reform of the decision of the Sanctions Commission of financial watchdog FSMA in the Nyrstar case. The commission had found Nyrstar NV guilty of market manipulation. The company was fined €80,000, but its board members were acquitted. The commission ruled that there had been insufficient investigation into their individual roles in the manipulation. That ruling is now being challenged. The ball is therefore i

The FSMA Sanctions Commission did find misleading practices at Nyrstar and convicted it of market manipulation related to its liquidity position prior to the restructuring. The other allegations, despite having been thoroughly analyzed for four years by the FSMA Auditor, were dismissed two years later, after six years of proceedings, including five days of closed-door hearings, without even consulting the minority shareholders' union that had been working on the case for more

“Together, we can make our societies open for business but closed for crime.” The words of Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever at the United Nations still resonate as I work my way through the 146-page decision of the FSMA Sanctions Committee on market manipulation at Nyrstar NV. The Committee’s mandate was clear: to determine the sanctions for four violations identified by the FSMA’s auditor after years of investigation. His exhaustive reports left little doubt that Nyrstar

Minority shareholders who suffer huge losses are left waiting for years, while courts, despite their best efforts, lack the resources to...

Minister Annelies Verlinden is requesting an additional €1 billion for structural investments in her department. Her message is sobering: “ I refuse to accept that the next social tragedies are waiting to happen in the offices of the public prosecutors. To prevent this, we must invest in every link in the chain. And anyone who thinks this money is not necessary should speak up. " Annelies Verlinden - © Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union / Julien Nizet A w

The wheels of justice turn slowly – too slowly – and this undermines the credibility of the rule of law. In an opinion piece in De Tijd,...

‘It seems that the justice system wants to send a strong message to politicians’, this week in Trends Tendances. Does the justice system...

"Trafigura Group will pay $126 million and plead guilty to US charges related to bribery in Brazil, in the latest case involving...

Here is the truth: the criminal investigation in Brussels into Nyrstar  was closed solely due to a lack of resources, and the verdict...

It is hereby (once again) confirmed: Trafigura, the international commodities trader that hijacked the assets of Belgium's industrial...

Pleadings were held yesterday before the Turnhout District Court for the appointment of a provisional administrator at Nyrstar NV. The...

The court in Turnhout has postponed the appointment of a provisional administrator for Nyrstar pending the results of the investigations...

The post published by the well-known whistleblower Julie O'Connor confirms once again that  Trafigura  is under scrutiny by regulators in...

Isabel Albers writes in De Tijd: 'We should not accept that our police and judicial systems are so dysfunctional. The judicial system is...

The recent landmark bribery trial involving  Trafigura 's former COO, Mike Wainwright, sheds a disturbing light on the inner workings of...

A landmark trial is set to shake the global commodity trading industry as  Trafigura  Group and its former chief operating officer face...

This is a great victory in our fight for better protection of minority shareholders in Belgium! Today marks an important milestone in our...