Two Geneva-based bankers stand accused of having taken their clients' assets. The two cases involve accounts at a former unit of Credit Suisse and at a private bank. The alleged events occurred at the same time as those that led to the death of a French banker formerly employed by Credit Suisse.
The cases are fairly small fry compared with the misappropriation of hundreds of millions of francs belonging to Eastern European oligarchs by Patrice Lescaudron. The former private banker of Credit Suisse (CS) took his life in August 2020, while the victims of the crime are trying to get their money back from the Swiss bank.
In this latest case, the state attorney of Geneva alleges that a former banker took 27 million euros ($32 million) from her clients. Three people now stand accused and will stand trial in March 2021, according to «Gotham City», a website dedicated to investigative journalism (behind paywall). The accused are presumed innocent proven guilty.
Real Estate in Serbia
The female banker once worked for Clariden Leu in Geneva, a private-banking business that belonged to CS, and committed the alleged theft from 2009 to 2011, the same period when Lescaudron worked at the bank. CS integrated Clariden Leu in 2011.
The male partner of the Clariden Leu banker at the time worked for Banque Heritage, a private bank, and stands accused of having misappropriated 10 million euros. Some of the money went into real estate in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.
Accused Denies Wrongdoing
The female banker denies any wrongdoing and the main aggrieved party has yet to make a claim. If that were to become the case though, it would come at an unfortunate time for the Zurich-based giant that already faces the pressure applied by the victims of the Lescaudron case.
