UK fraud office opens Glencore bribery probe

UK investigators are adding to the legal woes of Glencore - one of the world's biggest commodity traders - with an announcement that Britain's Serious Fraud Office has launched a probe over suspicions of bribery.

Glencore is already subject to a U.S. Department of Justice inquiry in connection with corruption in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Venezuela, and Nigeria.

Britain's SFO is also looking, it said, at the conduct of Glencore businesses, its officials, employees, agents, and associated persons, but did not comment further.

The British-Swiss firm - which has operations in over 150 countries - said it would cooperate.

Its shares took the news badly - losing around 7% of their value by mid-afternoon trading.

This year, they're down more than 20%.