Pierre Maudet, speaking at an event on June 22, 2018
Keystone
The Geneva cantonal public prosecutor says it wants to open an investigation into the head of the Geneva cantonal government – and former candidate for the Swiss government – Pierre Maudet. The case concerns a report that Maudet accepted benefits during a trip to Abu Dhabi in 2015.
This content was published on
3 minutes
SDA-ATS/SRF/ilj
العربية
ar
صدمة في جنيف إثر اتهام سياسي بارز بتلقي منفعة من ولي عهد أبوظبي
In a statement on ThursdayExternal link, the Geneva cantonal public prosecutor said Maudet had been invited to Abu Dhabi by its crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed bin Al-Nahyan, in November 2015 to watch a Formula 1 race. The prince is said to have paid for flights and accommodation for Maudet, his family and chief of staff, at a cost amounting to several tens of thousands of Swiss francs. Maudet had previously said that it was a private trip, paid for by a friend.
The public prosecutor said that there were several members of the Geneva property sector involved in the organisation of the trip, without giving further information.
Last year, the Geneva politicianExternal link failed in his attempt to become one of the seven ministers that make up the Federal Council (executive body) in Bern.
The Geneva cantonal parliament still has to agree to the investigation.
Pressure
News of the possible investigation came in the middle of a cantonal parliament debate, at which MaudetExternal link, a centre-right politician, was present. “The statement caused an earthquake in Geneva politics,” said Andreas StüdliExternal link, Swiss public television SRF correspondent for French-speaking Switzerland.
Some politicians called for Maudet to resign; others expressed shock at the move by the public prosecutor, which had started looking into the matter last year.
Maudet himself has not commented on the latest development. His lawyer has said that Maudet agrees to the lifting of his immunity and wants to be interviewed by the public prosecutor as soon as possible.
“He is now under extreme pressure,” Stüdli said.
Friday’s local press External linkquestioned whether Maudet’s career would survive the affair. Coverage by the Tribune de Genève expressed surprise that the affair concerns Maudet, who is known for his tough stance on crime. Maudet also chairs the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors.
The cantonal government said late Thursday eveningExternal link that is had noted both the public prosecutor’s request for an investigation and Maudet’s desire to be relieved of immunity, but that it did not intend to take any hasty decisions, given the ongoing nature of these issues.
A parliamentary committee is due to look at the prosecutor’s request, and the cantonal parliament will debate the issue – probably during its session on September 20-21, according to the Swiss news agency SDA-ATS. On Friday Maudet’s party, the Geneva branch of the centre-right Radical-Liberal Party, asked for the session on the issue of Maudet’s immunity to be moved up, possibly to Monday.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied a building at the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) on Tuesday, mirroring a peaceful demonstration at the nearby University of Lausanne (UNIL).
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
Switzerland needs more police, says head of coordination body
This content was published on
Switzerland needs 2,000 more police and a national police reserve, says Pierre Maudet, who heads the conference of cantonal police departments.
This content was published on
Three candidates from the centre-right Radical Party are vying to become the seventh minister in Switzerland’s cabinet. Who are they?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.