Rio Tinto CEO to leave over destruction of Indigenous sites in Australia

Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March over the destruction of Australian Idigenous sacred sites to access iron ore, the company said on Friday.

"Significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified," Rio Tinto said in a statement.

By mutual agreement, Jacques will step down once a replacement has been appointed, or on March 31, whichever happens sooner, the statement said.

Executives Chris Salisbury and Simone Niven will leave the company on Dec. 31.

Rio Tinto announced last month that Jacques would lose $3.5 million in bonuses and Salisbury and Niven around $700,000 each over the destruction in May of two rock shelters in Juukan Gorge in Western Australia state that had been inhbited for 46,000 years.