Geneva prosecutor attacks Russian justice system

Geneva public prosecutor Bernard Bertossa has criticised Russia's refusal to continue investigations into the Borodin case Keystone Archive

The Geneva public prosecutor, Bernard Bertossa, has described Russia's justice system as being worse than in some African countries, because of its refusal to investigate corruption at the highest levels of government.

Bertossa, who has brought charges against the ex-Kremlin aide, Pavel Borodin, launched his scathing attack in an interview on Monday in a Russian daily newspaper.

He criticised the Russians for their failure to investigate the Borodin affair. He said he knew of cases, for example in Africa, where nothing was done; but this case, he said, represented an unprecedented refusal to carry out an investigation.

Bertossa said there were many money laundering affairs, but the Borodin case was the first in which the authorities of the country in which the offence originated, had declared ‘absolutely, clearly and openly’ their refusal to take action.

Borodin was extradited to Switzerland from the United States on Saturday. He was subsequently indicted in Geneva, on charges of receiving and laundering millions of dollars worth of kickbacks from Swiss companies, in return for contracts to renovate the Kremlin.

Swiss and Russian judicial authorities worked closely on the affair. But the Russians surprised Swiss officials by closing their inquiry last December.

The Russian authorities said no violation of the law or illegal revenues had been revealed by their investigation on Borodin. The Swiss, nevertheless, decided to pursue their investigation, leading to Borodin’s extradition.

swissinfo with agencies