Police raid Swiss firms of Bin Laden’s brother

The raid was targeted against companies linked to Yeslam Binladin Keystone Archive

Swiss police have raided eight firms with links to Yeslam Binladin, the half-brother of Osama Bin Laden, as part of a money laundering probe.

Binladin’s Geneva lawyer, Pierre de Preux, was quoted as saying that the federal authorities had been given all the documents they requested during the raids.

Police swooped on nine firms linked to Binladin on Wednesday, including the Geneva-based Saudi Investment Company, which he liquidated in 1998. They also searched four homes, but it was not clear whether any of these belonged to Binladin.

Binladin’s lawyer said his client was “pleased” about the investigation. “It will prove that he has nothing to hide.”

Hansjürg Mark Wiedmer, a spokesman for the Federal Prosecutor’s office, told swissinfo the raids were the result of a request for judicial assistance from French authorities earlier this month.

“They’ve been leading a criminal investigation because of the suspicion of money laundering and they’ve been asking us for judicial assistance,” Wiedmer said.

He added that the premises searched were in cantons Bern, Geneva, Zug and Zurich.

French justice authorities in Paris refused to comment about the investigation.

No arrests

French police last week raided Binladin’s Riviera home in Cannes, but no details of the probe have been made public.

A Swiss citizen who spells his name differently to his notorious brother, Binladin also owns a home in Geneva where his investment banking business is headquartered.

Both cantonal and federal police were involved in the raids.

French judicial authorities made their Swiss request on March 18, Wiedmer said.

by Jacob Greber with agencies