Parliamentary immunity lifted in alleged corruption case
A former Swiss parliamentarian has been stripped of his immunity, paving the way for a legal investigation into corruption allegations over lobbying efforts by Kazakhstan.
It is a first in the parliamentary history of modern-day Switzerland.
A committee of the House of Representatives on Wednesday followed the Senate committee, lifting the immunity from prosecution of Christian Miesch, who sat in parliamentExternal link for the rightwing Swiss People’s Party until 2015.
He is suspected of accepting money – CHF4,635 ($4,760) – from a lobbyist in return for trying to serve the interests of Kazakhstan in parliament.
Initially, the committee had refused to move on Miesch, arguing his involvement was not significant enough to justify lifting his immunity.
Miesch has denied any wrongdoing.
Two other parliamentarians suspected of passing on confidential documents to a Kazakh lobbyist and accepting a paid trip were also involved in the case but did not have their immunity lifted.
As for the lobbyist, Thomas Borer, a former Swiss ambassador, he also faces a criminal investigation.
The Swiss chapter of the non-governmental Transparency InternationalExternal link group welcomed Wednesday’s decision by parliament. It said the allegations are serious and deserve a thorough examination.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden
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.
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.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
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
Questions swirl on outside influence in Swiss parliament
This content was published on
Concerns are growing about foreign influence in parliament, amid media reports showing a widening circle of power brokers received financial perks from lobbyists for Kazakh special interests.
This content was published on
In an interview published in the German language daily Südostschweiz on Saturday, Baumann claimed that she had informed centre-right Radical Party parliamentarian Christa Markwalder about her links with her Kazakh client. She also said that she had told Markwalder about all modifications made to the parliamentary questions, including the removal of the term “human rights”. …
This content was published on
Several recent scandals have highlighted efforts to influence Swiss parliamentarians by the regime of president Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan.
This content was published on
“I don’t judge single cases, but this is certainly not lobbying,” says lobbyist Andreas Hugi, president of the Swiss Association of PR agencies (BPRA), when asked for his opinion on the lobbying activities of former Swiss ambassador Thomas Borer in Kazakhstan’s interest. The country has been under the tight grip of President Nursultan Nazarbayev 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.