Finance
US SEC dismisses lawsuit against Rio Tinto ex-CFO
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on January 9, 2026
US SEC dismisses lawsuit against Rio Tinto ex-CFO
Overview of the SEC Lawsuit Dismissal
By Jonathan Stempel
Background of the Case
NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday dismissed its lawsuit against a former Rio Tinto chief financial officer, ending a long-running fraud case over a bad investment in a Mozambique coal project by one of the world's largest mining companies.
Details of the Dismissal
In a Manhattan federal court filing, the SEC said it was dismissing its civil case against Guy Elliott "in the exercise of its discretion," without addressing the merits of its remaining claims.
Implications for Rio Tinto
Friday's dismissal ends a more than eight-year-old case in which Rio Tinto agreed to pay a $28 million civil fine and former chief executive Tom Albanese accepted a $50,000 fine, both in 2023.
Future of Rio Tinto and Glencore
Elliott denied wrongdoing. In a joint statement, his lawyers called the dismissal "a complete defense victory."
The SEC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In its October 2017 complaint, the SEC accused Rio Tinto of deceiving investors about the value of Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique, which the Anglo-Australian company bought in 2011 for $3.7 billion through a takeover of the former Riversdale Mining.
Rio Tinto later raised more than $5.5 billion from unsuspecting U.S. fixed-income investors by overvaluing the coal assets, despite an internal assessment showing that the assets were worth negative $680 million, the SEC said.
The internal calculation valued the assets negatively after Mozambique's government rejected Rio Tinto's proposal for barging, a means to transport coal.
Rio Tinto took a more than $3 billion writedown for Mozambique in 2013, and sold the assets the following year for $50 million.
Last February, U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres rejected Elliott's bid to dismiss the SEC's remaining claims that he misled Rio Tinto's accounting firm about Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique's finances and committed books and records violations. The judge found open factual issues best left for a jury.
Rio Tinto and rival Glencore said on Thursday they were in merger talks to potentially create the world's largest mining company.
(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Frequently Asked Questions about US SEC dismisses lawsuit against Rio Tinto ex-CFO
1What is corporate governance?
Corporate governance refers to the systems, principles, and processes by which companies are directed and controlled, focusing on the relationships among stakeholders.
2What are investment portfolios?
Investment portfolios are collections of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, and other securities held by an individual or institution, aimed at achieving specific financial goals.
3What is a writedown?
A writedown is an accounting action that reduces the book value of an asset when its market value has fallen below its carrying value, reflecting a loss.
