Rio Tinto executives sacked over scandal

Global mining giant Rio Tinto on Thursday sacked energy and minerals chief executive Alan Davies and legal and regulatory affairs group executive Debra Valentine over their roles in a West Africa payment scandal. Rio said the decision was based on the initial findings of a company investigation into dealings with a consultant, who helped Rio with its operations at the massive Simandou iron ore deposit in Guinea, West Africa. Davies and Valentine, two of its ten most senior executives, were sacked after Rio alerted corporate regulators in Australia, the United States and Britain.