(Bloomberg) — Nyrstar NV opposed a proposal by Trafigura Beheer BV, the zinc producer’s biggest shareholder, to appoint an independent director to its board, saying the candidate has strong ties to the commodity trader.

Trafigura, with a 15.3 percent stake, last month nominated Martyn Konig as an independent director and Christopher Cox as non-executive director to Nyrstar’s board. Nyrstar recommended shareholders vote at a meeting on April 29 to appoint Cox as a non-executive, non-independent director as long as Trafigura’s stake is at least 15 percent, while voting against Konig.

“Mr. Konig has very strong ties and relationships with Trafigura, and several members of its executive management,” the world’s largest producer of refined zinc said Monday in a filing. Konig is the chief investment officer of Trafigura unit T Wealth Management, operating on behalf of partners, directors and senior management of the group, Nyrstar said.

The producer, instead, said it “welcomes” a proposal by its 3 percent-shareholder Umicore SA to reappoint Karel Vinck.

Trafigura believes Nyrstar’s view of Konig’s independence is wrong and his background and experience in mining “make him an ideal and much needed independent candidate,” the world’s second-largest metals trading company said in a statement.

Both the company and Konig gave “unequivocal assurances” that he wouldn’t be representing Trafigura, it said.

Konig’s role at T Wealth Management is as a consultant adviser and “not one in which his independence could be compromised as suggested,” Amsterdam-based Trafigura said.

Trafigura, with major operations in Geneva, is seeking to expand its investment in physical metals and mining, securing long-term supplies of copper, zinc, lead and iron ore.

Nyrstar in 2013 chose Noble Group Ltd., Asia’s largest commodity trader, to market part of its European output.

The agreement replaced a deal with Glencore Plc, the largest metals trader, which continues to sell Nyrstar’s zinc and lead produced outside the European Union.

To contact the reporters on this story: Firat Kayakiran in London at [email protected]; Andy Hoffman in Geneva at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Will Kennedy at [email protected] Tony Barrett, Dylan Griffiths

Original Article: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/nyrstar-opposes-trafigura-s-candidate-for-independent-director/41377002