UBS whistleblower awarded token damages by Paris court
Stéphanie Gibaud: 'They harassed me in order to break me'
Antoine Kowalski
A former UBS employee has been awarded the symbolic amount of €3,000 (CHF3,400) in compensation from the French state after blowing the whistle on the bank’s alleged practice of assisting tax evaders in France.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch
Whistleblower Stéphanie Gibaud had asked for €3.5 million to compensate for the emotional stress she says she was subjected to by UBS, which fired her from her job in marketing and communications at its French unit in 2012. Gibaud argued at the Paris court that she had worked for the state by providing evidence that led to the current court case against the bank.
UBS is facing a tax fraud trial in France that could see the bank fined up to €3.7 billion if found guilty of helping French citizens dodge their tax obligations. UBS denies the charges.
Gibaud refused to obey orders from the bank to destroy documents when she worked there in 2008. Instead, she passed them on to the French authorities, which have used them as evidence in their case against UBS.
On Friday, the Paris court acknowledged that Gibaud could be classified as an “occasional” state worker for her whistleblowing efforts. But it rejected claims that the stress caused was worth anything like the amount that Gibaud wanted.
In 2015, Gibaud was awarded €30,000 in compensation from the bank by a French employment tribunal. She has also written a book about her experiences called “The woman who knew too much”. UBS has rejected the contents of the book as fiction, but lost its case against Gibaud for defamation.
In a swissinfo.ch interview in 2014, Gibaud said that UBS “harassed me in order to break me” after she had turned whistleblower.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Aussie adoptee gains Swiss citizenship at 54 thanks to old envelope
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
Swiss politician who shot at image of Jesus resigns from Liberal Green Party
This content was published on
Sanija Ameti, who caused controversy after shooting at an image of Jesus and Mary last September, has resigned from the Liberal Green Party.
Swiss campaigners gather enough signatures to submit ‘responsible business’ initiative
This content was published on
The Swiss people are set to vote again on the corporate responsibility of multinationals after campaigners collected 183,661 signatures in 14 days for their new 'responsible business' initiative.
Several Swiss municipalities and banks hit by cyberattack
This content was published on
Russian hackers attacked the websites of several Swiss municipalities and banks on Tuesday, just as the World Economic Forum (WEF), got under way in Davos.
Music strengthens brain connections in premature babies, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
In premature babies, music strengthens connections in certain areas of the brain, according to a years-long study by the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG).
WEF gives Crystal Award to Beckham, Yamamoto and von Fürstenberg
This content was published on
The World Economic Forum in Davos handed out awards to UNICEF ambassador David Beckham, Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto and women's rights activist Diane von Fürstenberg.
Swiss CEOs betting on a strong domestic market in 2025
This content was published on
Swiss business leaders are optimistic about 2025, despite a world in crisis, says a new survey by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
This content was published on
Economics Minister Guy Parmelin and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis have welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang to Bern
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
French prosecutors demand €3.7 billion fine for UBS
This content was published on
The Swiss banking giant and its French subsidiary are accused of laundering proceeds from tax fraud carried out from 2004 to 2012. UBS denies the charges. France’s national financial crimes unit estimates at least €9.76 billion went unreported to French tax authorities in that period. Prosecutors also requested a fine of €15 million against UBS…
This content was published on
The Swiss bank denied any bullying of the ex-employee, Stéphanie Gibaud, and said the dispute between Gibaud and her boss was a simple misunderstanding. But the labour tribunal, which has no connection to ongoing investigations into UBS over whether it helped tax dodgers, said that the “alleged psychological bullying has been established”. It ordered the…
UBS whistleblower criticises banking’s ‘code of silence’
This content was published on
Gibaud started working at UBS France when it opened there in 1999 and was head of communications until 2012, with particular responsibility for organising bank events in France. Upon learning of the alleged illegal nature of the bank’s activities in France, she was instrumental in revealing the scandal of tax evasion and fraud. Earlier this…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.