- The major bank Credit Suisse is said to have had controversial rulers and corrupt officials as customers for years.
- This accuses an international research network of the big bank.
- The incidents alleged against the bank are said to range from the 1940s well into the past decade.
This is reported by the research network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) under the title “Suisse Secrets”. The journalists involved refer to the bank’s internal data that was passed to them. Credit Suisse enabled autocrats, drug dealers, criminals and suspected war criminals to safely park their wealth, writes the Süddeutsche Zeitung, which was involved in the research.
According to ARD, which was involved in the research, several family members of Kazakhstan’s ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev were among Credit Suisse’s clients. Nazarbayev’s family is still considered extremely powerful and influential.
Legend:
Family members of Kazakhstan’s ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev are said to have been among CS’ customers.
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According to ARD, the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, is also one of the big bank’s customers – even after the media had reported on his “kingdom of corruption”. One of his accounts is still active.
Credit Suisse rejects allegations
In a opinion Credit Suisse rejects the allegations and insinuations about “alleged business practices of the bank”. The facts presented are predominantly historical and in some cases go back to the 1940s. They are based on incomplete or selective information taken out of context. The majority of the affected accounts were closed before 2015.
For legal reasons, Credit Suisse cannot comment on potential client relationships. The allegation is taken very seriously and the investigation will continue with an internal task force involving specialized external experts.
30,000 customers from all over the world involved
According to the report, the documents reveal the accounts of more than 30,000 customers from around the world. “Suisse Secrets” says it relies on files from 18,000 accounts worth $100 billion.
According to this data, criminals were able to open accounts or keep accounts even “if the bank could have known long ago that they were dealing with criminals”. According to internal bank data, numerous heads of state and government, ministers and heads of intelligence services, as well as oligarchs and cardinals, were clients of Credit Suisse.