Swiss authorities file criminal complaint against encryption firm
The economics authority says it was misled by the Zug-based company when it filed export applications for its secretly manipulated encryption devices.
Keystone / Alexandra Wey
The Attorney General’s office has received a criminal complaint from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) against Crypto AG, the firm at the centre of a spying scandal that broke last month, the SonntagsZeitung newspaper reports.
SECO, the authority responsible among other things for the licensing of war materiel exports, believes it was misled by the Zug-based company when it filed export applications for its manipulated encryption devices.
For decades Crypto allegedly sold these secretly manipulated devices to more than 100 countries for spying purposes. Until 2018 the company was owned by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Germany Federal Intelligence Service (BND), both of whom had the ability to decrypt the devices.
SECO says it would not have approved the exports if it had been aware of the large-scale fraud. The department filed the complaint against unknown persons on Tuesday, since it is as yet unclear who at Crypto AG knew about the manipulations, the SonntagsZeitung revealsExternal link. At its peak the company had around 400 employees, only a few of whom would have been aware of the covert spying.
The newspaper says it is likely the complaint was filed under Article 14 of the Goods Control ActExternal link, which states that anyone who provides incorrect or incomplete information in a license application is liable to up to ten years in prison and a maximum fine of CHF5 million ($5.18 million), depending on the severity of the crime.
The Swiss Attorney General’s Office will now decide whether the alleged offences are subject to federal jurisdiction and there are sufficient grounds to pursue criminal charges.
The Federal Council, the executive body, launched an investigation into the Crypto affair on February 11, appointing former federal judge Niklaus Oberholzer to lead the probe. This investigation is now being overseen by the parliamentary control delegation, which is pursuing its own inquiry.
More
More
Swiss parliament assumes control of Crypto probe
This content was published on
The Swiss parliament has insisted that it will take control of and merge the ongoing investigations into the Crypto spying affair.
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
‘Pressure will increase on Switzerland to invest more in defence’
This content was published on
Markus Mäder, Switzerland's state secretary for security policy, believes that more cooperation is needed in order to strengthen defence in Europe.
Just one in five Swiss attend a religious service at Easter
This content was published on
Only one in five people in Switzerland attend a religious service during the Easter period or give up meat or alcohol for at least one day of fasting. Around 25% of those polled see Easter primarily as a family holiday, according to the survey.
Major road disruptions continue after heavy snowfall in parts of Switzerland
This content was published on
The snowfall has ended in the southern Swiss canton of Valais, the cantonal emergency services said on Friday. Several roads, however, remain closed.
Swiss businessman gets prison term for asbestos deaths
This content was published on
Stephan Schmidheiny has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison by the Turin Court of Appeal in a case against the former Eternit executive over deaths linked to asbestos exposure in Italy.
This content was published on
Swiss imports and exports reached new heights in the first quarter, driven by the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors. Shipments to the US rose sharply.
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
Ex-cabinet members had knowledge of Crypto business dealings, say papers
This content was published on
The Crypto leaks scandal continues to shake the Swiss political establishment with more revelations about who in the government knew what, and when.
Crypto investigator needs permission to view files
This content was published on
The man tasked with investigating the Crypto spying affair for the Swiss government doesn’t have direct access to all the relevant documents.
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.