The government has uncovered cases of widespread fraud involving the civilian protection service.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The Federal Social Insurance Office has found that local authorities across the country cheated the federal government out of about SFr6 million ($7.2 million) between 2003 and 2009.
In a report in the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, confirmed by the Swiss News Agency, cases of fraud were uncovered in 25 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons.
The Social Insurance Office said that local authorities at times engaged men on military service or civil protection duty to fill staff shortages. They were paid out of the government fund set aside for men doing their national service, and not from the coffers of the canton or community where they did the work.
In one case men with the civil protection unit in Sempach, canton Lucerne, were called on to install the town’s Christmas lights, and paid out of the government fund.
In other cases, soldiers copied their documents used to claim money owed to them from the fund, and handed it in for payment several times.
A week ago, it was revealed that the defence ministry has also illegally benefited from the fund to the tune of at least SFr10 million.
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.
Read more
More
White collar crime “certain to rise”
This content was published on
The recent recession has enhanced the environment for white collar crime by slashing bonuses and share prices while increasing pressure on workers. Stretched companies are also struggling to devote enough resources to tackle the problem. Because the average fraud takes 3.4 years to detect, professional services group KPMG believes that many crimes may already be…
This content was published on
Hans-Ulrich Ernst was for many years general secretary of the defence ministry, and is now a knowledgeable critic of the army. He tells swissinfo.ch that reintroducing screening for those who do not want to join the army is pointless. At present, all able-bodied Swiss men between the ages of 20 and 36 must serve 260…
This content was published on
It follows a government decision delaying the partial replacement of the army’s ageing Tiger jets for financial reasons until 2015 at the latest. Buying 22 new planes would have cost up to SFr4.8 billion ($4.6 billion). The Berner Zeitung sums up its feelings under the headline “Sad army debacle”. It comments that by giving itself…
This content was published on
The 78-page report attempts to tackle a controversial question: Should the Swiss army cooperate more closely with international peacekeeping efforts abroad or should it retreat to being a purely defensive force with a focus on infantry? The answer in the report – which strives to find common ground between opposing forces – has met with…
This content was published on
Switzerland prepared itself against a possible assault by neighbouring Nazi Germany after hostilities broke out on September 1, 1939. The militia-based Swiss army was mobilised after the German attack on Poland. Although the country was never threatened in the end, people’s lives were turned upside down. Men went off to serve their country while women…
This content was published on
Shooting competitions took place across the whole of Switzerland over the first weekend of June, including in Überstorf, in canton Fribourg. Around 2,000 people from the region took part. In Switzerland as a whole, the number of participants was around 146,000. The annual event mixes sport and competition with a party atmosphere. (Photos and text:…
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.