A former Russia specialist with the federal police, accused of accepting benefits during a bear hunting trip to Russia, has had his appeal rejected.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keysonte-SDA/swissinfo.ch/ilj
The appeals chamber of the Swiss Federal Criminal Court on Friday confirmed the original judgement that the former police official had accepted benefits on the excursion.
The 60-year-old took part in the trip in August 2016, accepting an invitation from the then deputy Russian federal prosecutor, with whom he was said to have “friendly contact” due to his frequent trips to Russia.
But the Bellinzona court decided against any form of extra punishment, saying that the man did not have to settle any more claims, as this had not been foreseen by the lower court. It also said there would be no criminal record entry, to help the man find employment (as he is over 55 and has not found a job since he lost his previous post).
Criticism
The news comes after Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny criticised the Swiss Attorney General’s Office (OAG) for having ‘too close contact’ with the Russian Prosecutor General’s office in a newspaper interview last weekend.
One of the examples he cited was that of the former Russia specialist. He also took aim at Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
The hunting case started in February 2017 when the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) opened a criminal investigation against the official. The charges of usurpation, abuse of office and corruption were later dropped due to lack of evidence. Only the repeated acceptance of benefits remained.
In the original judgement, the Federal Criminal Court ordered the former police agent to settle a compensation claim of CHF5,000 ($5,000) and received a 60-day suspended fine of CHF150.
The man’s defence centred on arguments that the attentions he accepted did not exceed the usual standard when working with the Russian justice system.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Heard the one about the Swiss company installing laugh detectors?
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
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
Swiss federal official guilty of accepting benefits on bear hunt
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Criminal Court has found a former Russia specialist guilty of accepting benefits during a bear hunting trip to Russia.
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.