On January 25, the criminal proceedings against the former Raiffeisen boss Pierin Vincenz (65), his ex-advisor Beat Stocker (61) and five other co-defendants begin.
The Zurich public prosecutor’s office accuses Vincenz and Stocker of having privately participated in several start-ups without making this transparent. As a result, the two of them had exploited their roles as top management at the Raiffeisen banking group and at the credit card company Aduno (now renamed Viseca) by working towards the takeover of these companies and thus channeling millions into their own pockets. In addition, they should have enriched themselves through expenses.
A week ago Stocker, Aduno CEO from 2006 to 2011, launched the process almost ahead of schedule. In a detailed interview with the “NZZ am Sonntag” he presented his view of things – a highly unusual process. He presented himself as an innocent lamb, kept his distance from Vincenz and said that he was more than just “some smart advisor and whisperer” to the former Raiffeisen boss: “I was never a shadow of Pierin Vincenz.”
Dinner in the strip club
Stocker also commented on important points in the indictment. Regarding the controversial upfront participations, he says: “I have always acted in the interests of my clients.”
And why did he pay 16,835 francs in bars and strip clubs with the Aduno business credit card? “Of course I have also been to bars or strip clubs once, often those are the only places where you can have dinner or a drink late at night after a meeting.”
Other allegations were not mentioned in the interview. Stocker is charged with charging his employer Aduno for a year and a half for an apartment in Zurich’s old town, even though he no longer rented it. In total, he reduced his employer’s assets by 77,568 francs.
The indictment literally states: “Although BS (Beat Stocker; Red.) No longer rented the apartment (…) in 2010 and 2011, he invoiced Viseca for these alleged expenses as ancillary costs – on an ongoing basis.” Stocker knew that the Aduno Group’s agreed contribution to the business apartment was only owed for as long as he actually incurred the corresponding rental costs. However, he let the lease expire on December 31, 2009.
Additional costs will be charged
Stocker did not want to comment on these allegations when asked. From a well-informed source, however, SonntagsBlick was able to find out that he will not deny in court that he still billed the Aduno for ancillary costs for an apartment after 2009.
However, Stocker claims that he assumed that he was generally entitled to CHF 4,000 per month for an apartment in Zurich – and that this money was not tied to a specific property. “Stocker saw this money as a component of his wages, as he did not live in Zurich, but often had to spend the night here because of his work for Aduno,” says the source.
Private flights paid for with corporate credit card
Another accusation of the public prosecutor’s office is that Stocker paid for his wife’s private flights between Zurich and Lugano with the company credit card. That cost Viseca Swiss francs in 1989.
This accusation is undisputed. But Stocker will try to explain these statements with medical problems. “Since his health was sometimes very bad, he was dependent on his wife accompanying him,” said the insider.
Whether the court finds these explanations credible remains to be seen in a few weeks. Beat Stocker, Pierin Vincenz and all other defendants are presumed to be innocent.
On bank costs in the milieu: Raiffeisen President blessed Vincenz’s strip expenses(01:04)