Seco-corruption affair: First judgments after five years

It is probably the largest case of corruption in the Federal administration in recent times has experienced: the affair around a corrupt officials from the state Secretariat for economic Seco . The IT head of Department awarded for years of millions of jobs to fellow entrepreneurs – unlawfully freely and without any control. For this, he was a gift, for example, with travel, exclusive soccer Tickets, electronic equipment and money.

five years have passed since the "Federal" and "Tages-Anzeiger" these events have revealed. The Federal advocacy tried since then, the case legally. The indictment against the main accused is still on. Now the office of the attorney General (BA) was able to conclude, but at least the proceedings against four in addition to actors. The BA sentenced to three IT entrepreneurs legally by the criminal command to conditional fines of 100 to 180 daily rates and fines from 1000 to 1500 francs and Zurich Trustee due to six months in prison.

the most important is The now condemned IT entrepreneur was the managing Director of System Connect AG and another company. These two companies, the Seco officials to schanzte since 2004, contracts with a value of about 24 million Swiss francs. In return, the entrepreneur paid to the official grants of almost 100'000 Swiss francs. Including a nearly 10'000 Swiss francs expensive translation system, various Laptops, household appliances and a helicopter flight. Many of the donations were donated to a music society, in which the Seco officials was active. For the lottery of the IT entrepreneur bought the regular 2000-francs-travel vouchers, and a million loose, and he paid for her new uniforms.

invitations to a Casino and spent grains eat a sausage

The criminal commands show that two other IT entrepreneurs from the Region of Bern were involved in the case, albeit to a much smaller extent. The Seco Department of the bribed officials, many occasions, and trips paid, for example, to the Casino to eat multi-grain sausage, or fondue in the animal Park Dählhlölzli. A 1800-franc voucher to the brewery, and Brewery on the occasion of the 2010 soccer world Cup, in 1930, Swiss francs more expensive satellite receiver for the house of the officials in Spain and a coupon of 1100 Swiss francs for a trip to the Europa Park in Rust, came. In addition, one of the entrepreneurs invited to the Seco officials repeated in elegant Restaurants, including spouses. Overall, the office of the attorney General the two smaller entrepreneurs with grants of close to 30'000 or 14'000 Swiss francs, the evidence for contracts with a value of nearly 400'000, respectively, with almost 1.4 million Swiss francs.

a company that lived almost exclusively from the Seco-orders, as it is called in the criminal command. The retired owner was almost a Seco-employees with their own E-Mail address of the Confederation. The IT entrepreneurs are not benefited according to the criminal commands from the bribed Seco officials only because they did not have to prevail against competitors. You received for your services also excessive hours of approaches. In addition, there was no duty folders for your work.

The Trustee with millions of

now, also condemned the Zurich Trustee a completely different role had had. He was responsible to distribute a part of excess profits from the corrupt practices among the main actors, against which the investigation is still ongoing. For that, he used fake invoices to various by him controlled companies in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Panama. On the basis of these Fake bills, were able to solve the two main accused of the IT entrepreneurs than 2.5 million Swiss francs from your company.

Once in the circulation, distributed to the Trustee of the money to different Bank accounts. Several of these accounts at the Swiss Bank Clariden Leu (now part of Credit Suisse) were running through anonymous shell companies from Panama box. The not allowed to the Trustee, to the Bank itself as the sole beneficiaries of the accounts, to spend what he was.

IT-entrepreneurs received for their services excessive hours approaches.

The Federal government condemned advocacy of the Trustee due to multiple forgery, multiple unfaithful Agency and money laundering to a conditional prison sentence of six months. This is a comparatively mild punishment. The office of the public Prosecutor in Zurich had been convicted in 2014, a agents. This created, in the order of the Trustee a portion of of the Fake invoices and was punished with six months conditionally.

the three IT entrepreneurs can come away with the conditional fines. The Federal criminal court has in other corruption in the Federal administration cases like each of harsher sentences.

The Seco-corruption procedures, according to a spokeswoman for the Federal Prosecutor's office now for four persons. Including the Seco officials and the two masterminds of the largest involved in the company, now liquidated, Fritz & Macziol Schweiz. It is assumed that you have been brought before the Federal criminal court in Bellinzona, as soon as the indictment, the Federal Prosecutor's office. In the process it will go even much higher amounts. The Fritz & Macziol and its predecessor companies awarded the Seco officials since 2006, contracts with a value of around 56 million Swiss francs.

Everything to the Seco-affair, you can find here in this great web special. (Editorial Tamedia)

Created: 30.04.2019, 21:49 PM