- On Tuesday morning, the Zurich District Court collected all the preliminary questions from the parties. Because a co-accused is missing due to the corona, Vincenz’s lawyer called for the trial to be postponed.
- The Zurich District Court nevertheless continued the hearing around ex-bank boss Pierin Vincenz in the afternoon as planned.
- The trial continues on Wednesday with the questioning of the other suspects present.
The former Raiffeisen boss Pierin Vincenz has rejected all allegations made. The expenses that he claimed were business-related. Vincenz only admitted to errors with regard to legal fees and individual small items. Erroneously, certain invoices were sent to the bank instead of to him by his lawyer’s office and paid by the bank.
Regarding the allegations that expenses in night and strip clubs as “dinner” were taken on business expenses, the 65-year-old said that these “visits were part of dinners and events”. It was about maintaining relationships with business people. Vincenz stated that the trips were also largely for business reasons.
Holdings not disclosed due to “inexperience”.
The public prosecutor’s office accuses the ex-Raiffeisen boss Vincenz, among other things, of fraud and unfaithful business management. His former business colleague Beat Stocker is also accused. The two are said to have pocketed illegitimate profits of 25 million francs. Also through company deals in which, according to the public prosecutor, they had secretly participated.
In the “Commtrain” case, Vincenz admitted that he had not disclosed his involvement. That happened 15 years ago and he was inexperienced, Vincenz explained. It was a private investment. For reasons of discretion, he did not want his investments in the SME sector to be known.
I don’t feel like I’ve done anything criminal.
In further deals, he emphasized that he no longer held any shares at the time of the takeovers or that the transfers found were not profit-sharing but personal loans received. “I don’t feel like I’ve done anything criminal.” He feels innocent, he said when asked by the judge.
Prosecutors are demanding six years in prison
Due to the great media interest, the trial against the ex-Raiffeisen boss is taking place in the theater of the Volkshaus restaurant in Zurich. The public prosecutor is demanding six years’ imprisonment for Pierin Vincenz and Beat Stocker. According to the indictment, five co-accused are said to have provided assistance in certain cases.
The pictures from the People’s House
It is already known that the hearing will take longer than expected: In addition to the four days of hearings this week, the court has now summoned the parties to four other dates in March, as the judge announced at the beginning.
Business editor Andi Lüscher observed the process for SRF. “The two men who appeared in court today had very different postures.” Vincenz appeared dynamic, he even laughed and stopped briefly in front of the media and had his picture taken. Beat Stocker, on the other hand, made a tense, fragile impression.