Swiss open money-laundering case for Cote d’Ivoire
May 10th, 2011 by admin
Switzerland has opened a money-laundering investigation following a criminal complaint lodged by the Cote d’Ivoire government of President Alassane Quattara. “The investigation is at the its initial stage and the Swiss attoney-general does not wish to comment further” Spokeswoman Jeannette Ballmer said in an email response to a Reuters. She declined to say against whom the investigation was targeted. However the Swiss news agency ATS reported that Geneva lawyer Bruno de Preux had lodged the money laundering complaint on behalf of Quattara’s government against former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, his wife and close associates. A dispute over who won a November 2010 presidential election provoked conflict between pro-Quattara and pro-Gbagbo forces that killed thousands of people and displaced more than a million. Violence eased last month with Gbagbo’s arrest and Quattara took his presidential oath last Friday. “The complaint was lodged against Mr. Gbagbo, his wife and a whole series of former Ivorian civil servants and ministers.” ATS quoted de Preux as saying. De Preux was not immediately available for comment. Switzerland revealed last week it had frozen 70 million Swiss francs linked to Gbagbo and his associates.