A Swiss court has ruled that the state-owned PostFinance bank should not have refused an account to the Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, who reportedly lives in Switzerland and faces US sanctions.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Tages-Anzeiger/AFP/sb
Русский
ru
Вексельберг выиграл процесс против швейцарского банка
The Swiss Federal Court has ruled that PostFinance, a financial unit of the Swiss Post, violated the law when it closed the bank account belonging to Vekselberg at the end of 2018.
The Russian billionaire filed a lawsuit following PostFinance’s decision to close his account shortly after opening it in October 2018, and other Swiss banks refused to take his business after he was added to the US sanctions list that year. In 2020 a Bern trade court ruled against Vekselberg, who then appealed.
The decisionExternal link published on Thursday by Switzerland’s highest court said PostFinance should not have closed his account based on the rules in place at the time. The bank was obliged to provide certain universal payment services, it said.
The ruling obliges PostFinance to “maintain the business relationship with Vekselberg and to continue the postal account in Swiss francs with the number 15-174627-7”. PostFinance also has to bear the court costs of CHF8,000 ($8,700) and pay Vekselberg compensation of CHF9,000.
Since 2021, a Swiss derogation rule states that the opening of a bank account may be refused or a business relationship may be terminated “if compliance with financial markets, money laundering or embargo legislation would involve a disproportionate effort”.
More
More
Viktor Vekselberg: a discreet Russian oligarch in Switzerland
This content was published on
Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, a target of recent US sanctions, has deep ties to Switzerland stretching back many years.
The Russian billionaire reportedlyExternal link lives in Switzerland and is the founder and owner of the investment company Renova and holds shares in the listed Swiss companies OC Oerlikon and Sulzer. He had argued that he needed an account in Switzerland to be able to pay bills, taxes and live a normal life.
However, PostFinance’s legal team had argued that there was a clause in the bank’s mandate allowing it to exclude clients in certain cases, including if they posed a serious legal or reputational risk.
Vekselberg was among a number of Russian oligarchs, officials and companies targeted with US sanctions in April 2018.
Former President Donald Trump’s administration said the measures were aimed at punishing Russia for actions that included election interference and its support of the Syrian government.
Vekselberg told Forbes magazine last year that he had had more than $1.5 billion worth of foreign assets frozen as a result of the US sanctions.
More
More
Russian billionaire pushes back over US sanctions
This content was published on
Fifteen months after attending Trump’s presidential inauguration, Vekselberg was placed under crippling sanctions by his administration.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
This content was published on
Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife, Eva Pavlova, arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday at the start of a two-day state visit.
Study shows proliferation of non-native plants is driver of insect invasions
This content was published on
A global study has revealed that insect invasions are being driven by the proliferation of non-native plants. This can can massively disrupt ecological processes, often leading to serious economic impacts.
Swiss set record for world’s longest hyperloop test
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have established a record for the longest-ever hyperloop journey at a facility in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Swiss army wants to purchase new German armoured howitzers to replace its existing artillery system which has been in operation for over 50 years.
Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland
This content was published on
Around a quarter of Swiss citizens would vote for Donald Trump if they had the chance, according to a recent poll. This percentage is higher than in many other European countries.
Swiss court rejects special assistance for student with disabilities
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Court has rejected an application for special assistance from a student with disabilities at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
Police arrest 15 drug dealers in Verbier in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Swiss and French police have arrested 15 suspected drug dealers operating in the mountain resort of Verbier in southern Switzerland.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
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
Russian billionaire pushes back over US sanctions
This content was published on
Fifteen months after attending Trump's presidential inauguration, Vekselberg was placed under crippling sanctions by his administration.
Viktor Vekselberg: a discreet Russian oligarch in Switzerland
This content was published on
Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, a target of recent US sanctions, has deep ties to Switzerland stretching back many years.
This content was published on
When the US announced tough new sanctions against Russia this month, Swiss industrial group Sulzer acted quickly to avert disaster.
This content was published on
Commodities trader Glencore also took measures to mitigate potential effects of the sanctions. Last week the US Treasury Department released a list of Russian oligarchs, companies and government officials that are subject to sanctions. Included on the list of ‘specially designated nationals’ (SDNs) are the investment group Renova, owned by Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg, and…
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.