The appeal process began today, Tuesday, in one of the largest corruption cases in the history of the Swiss federal administration. A former head of department at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco) is defending himself against his conviction for corruption. The appeals chamber of the Federal Criminal Court is therefore expected to hear the case until December 1st. SRF court correspondent Sibilla Bondolfi classifies the case.
What presumably happened?
A department head at Seco accepted gifts and bribes worth 1.7 million francs for himself and friends over almost ten years and in return awarded overpriced IT contracts to favored companies. In addition to money, he received, for example, VIP football tickets or trips.
The damage to the federal government is significant: orders worth almost 100 million francs were affected. In addition, there is the damage to the company’s image: the fact that a senior employee in Seco, which is internationally committed to combating corruption and advises companies, was bribed is embarrassing.
It wasn’t until 2014 that Seco became suspicious and filed a complaint. In September 2021, the Federal Criminal Court sentenced the former Seco squad to over four years in prison. The three entrepreneurs were sentenced to conditional prison sentences. The now 71-year-old Seco squad defended itself and appealed the verdict. The appeal process has now begun.
Is this corruption case an exception?
The fact that a government employee was bribed with so much money over so many years is indeed extraordinary. In an international comparison, Switzerland is doing well when it comes to corruption. Nobody has to bribe the authorities here, for example to get a passport issued or to receive medical treatment. However, nepotism is also widespread in Switzerland.
Legend:
For almost ten years, a department head at Seco accepted gifts and bribes worth 1.7 million francs.
KEYSTONE/Peter Schneider
According to Kristina S. Weissmüller, assistant professor of public administration at the Free University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and postdoctoral candidate at the University of Bern, the case is sensational for Switzerland, but typical in international comparison. “Wherever large public contracts are awarded, there is a risk of corruption.” Control mechanisms are therefore needed.
In this case, the control system in the federal administration has obviously failed. The Federal Council has therefore gone over the books and drawn up a strategy against corruption. And after an internal investigation, Seco has unbundled the areas so that no new corruption case can repeat itself following the same pattern. Decisions are now made according to the four-eye principle.
What’s next?
This week the appeals chamber of the Federal Criminal Court delivers its verdict. This can be taken to the Federal Court.