Swiss Attorney General Stefan Blättler has called for stronger action against the Italian mafia – which, as the Calabrian Ndrangheta, is suspected of operating in locations across the country.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Schweiz am Wochenende/SWI swissinfo.ch/ilj
Português
pt
Procurador Geral quer intensificar luta contra a máfia
His comments came after a meeting with Italian anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Melillo in the Swiss capital Bern on Wednesday, in which the two men decided to establish a permanent exchange of information between the two countries’ judicial systems.
Blättler said the next goal in this cooperation was to open anti-Mafia proceedings in Switzerland. “If we open cases on both sides, these proceedings will be much easier to conduct,” he added.
The attorney general said that one of Switzerland’s great weaknesses was, however, that his federal agency had no national overview. “For example, I have no access to the Thurgau or St Gallen criminal police information system. We can’t get a picture of the situation in Switzerland!” he lamented.
Penalties ‘laughable’
Awareness of the problem with the mafia in Switzerland needed to grow “in all circles”, he continued. “It is in the interest of society and the economy in Switzerland that they are not infiltrated by mafia structures. It’s about the workplace, the financial centre, the Swiss economy,” said Blättler.
He added that there was also a need for legal action in certain areas, like Article 102 of the Criminal Code: the provision on the criminal liability of companies.
“Look at the sanctions: CHF5 million [$5.29 million]. That is laughable. That is now about a quarter of a second-level manager’s salary. They pay that out of petty cash,” he decried.
Blättler called for an instrument like the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), which is in operation in the English-speaking world, and is a voluntary alternative to adjudication.
In this way, companies could not simply be fined for an offence like money laundering, but also be monitored and accompanied while they made changes. “And our goal cannot be to dissolve a company. Our goal must be a clean company that creates jobs and pays taxes,” Blättler said.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
Algerian to face trial in Switzerland for ties to Islamic State
This content was published on
A 51-year-old Algerian man has been charged by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor's Office for involvement in the banned terrorist group.
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
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
Switzerland and Italy to step up anti-mafia cooperation
This content was published on
Top Swiss and Italian prosecutors have agreed to strengthen cooperation to fight mafia activity, which is on the rise in Switzerland.
New Swiss attorney general faces huge re-organisation task
This content was published on
The election of Stefan Blättler by parliament ends a difficult search for a new attorney general, a powerful position in Switzerland’s justice system.
Fedpol chief calls for better cooperation to fight Mafia
This content was published on
The Federal Office of Police says a lack of information from civilian authorities slows the fight against Italian crime syndicates in Switzerland.
Italian mafia milks Swiss Covid funds for expansion
This content was published on
“We can see that the money allocated to companies as Covid loans very quickly goes abroad,” says Nicoletta della Valle, director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). “It is the banks that report these observations to us.” To date, Fedpol’s Money Laundering Reporting Office (MROS) estimates that at least CHF180 million ($199 million) has been stolen from government loans issued to offset the financial damage of the…
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.