Swiss investigation launched into alleged ‘Covid credit’ fraud
The Office of the Attorney General of Canton Vaud opened an
investigation last week involving several Swiss nationals, it was reported on
Monday. Various bank accounts belonging to the suspects have been blocked. The
suspects are alleged to have received Covid credits worth several million Swiss
francs from various banks based on fraudulent statements.
Several companies, mainly small- and medium-sized
enterprises, in different sectors of activity have been searched, Vaud
prosecutor Anton Rüsch told the Keystone-SDA News Agency.
“Banks that granted Covid credits carried out checks. These
revealed a number of suspicious elements which were notified to the Money
Laundering Reporting Office Switzerlandexternal link at the Federal Office of
Police,” explained Rüsch. “Fedpol then carried out checks and as the doubts could
not be cleared, it alerted the Vaud prosecutor’s office, which has taken charge
of the affair.”
The suspects are accused of using the money for other
activities than the daily running of their businesses and of having transferred
over CHF1.5 million abroad. Measures have been taken to repatriate the funds.
The authorities however gave no further information on where the money was
sent.
A legal case has been opened for fraud, breach of trust,
aggravated mismanagement, forgery, money laundering and breach of the Covid-19
Solidarity Guarantees Orderexternal link. The investigation, which focuses on
the western Swiss canton only, continues.
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