Ex-politician in Geneva cleared of criminal offence over Abu Dhabi trip
Former Swiss politician Pierre Maudet has been cleared of accepting undue financial advantages when he was a member of the government of canton Geneva.
An appeals court overturned a conviction handed down last year to pay a fine and refund the costs of a controversial visit to Abu Dhabi in 2015 by Maudet and his family, according to his lawyers.
The court said there was no indication that the invitation by the royal family of the United Arab Emirates was aimed at winning any favours from Maudet. However, the judges criticised him for accepting undue perks.
The suspended sentence, which involved a fine of some CHF120,000 ($129,985), led to Maudet’s gradual removal from power, his exclusion from the centre-right Radical Party and a series of legal cases.
Maudet has denied the charges and pleaded innocent, saying he hadn’t broken criminal law. In 2021, he ran as an independent candidate for a seat in the Geneva government, but failed to be elected.
The Geneva prosecutor’s office can yet take the latest verdict to the Swiss supreme court.
It is not clear what impact the latest developments will have on the political career of a former shooting star of Swiss politics.
The Maudet case was also at the origin of a proposal to introduce the right to force out of office politicians in Geneva, approved by cantonal voters last year.
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?
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?
This content was published on
Pierre Maudet, the Geneva politician found guilty of accepting perks, has lost his bid for election to the Geneva cantonal government.
This content was published on
Geneva cantonal public prosecutor says it wants to open an investigation into the head of the Geneva cantonal government Pierre Maudet.
Recall option risks to shorten career of Geneva politicians
This content was published on
Voters in Geneva have won the right to recall elected members of their cantonal government, an option rarely used in Switzerland.
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.