Swiss freeze 24 accounts as part of terrorist probe
The Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed that 24 accounts at Swiss banks have been frozen in connection with a probe of suspected terrorist activities.
The account names were culled from a list of 39 individuals and organisations that the US Treasury Department named on October 12 as suspected of conducting or financing terrorist activities.
“We have frozen 24 bank accounts based on a second list provided by President George W Bush,” said a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, Vera Britsch.
She said she was unable to give details about the amounts frozen, the banks involved, or the identity of the account holders.
She added that the funds would be blocked for an “indefinite period” while further investigations were carried out.
Switzerland has also asked Washington to provide more information on three cases referred to on its lists.
The Swiss Federal authorities have said previously that Swiss banks are unlikely to contain significant amounts of money linked to terrorist groups because of the country’s tight money-laundering laws.
Accounts temporarily frozen
In early October, Federal Prosecutor Valentin Roschacher said 16 bank accounts had been temporarily blocked in connection with the international investigation of funding for the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.
He said 15 of those accounts had been unblocked because of lack of evidence. It was not clear whether the remaining frozen account remained blocked.
Wednesday’s developments concern accounts from a second list of 39 individuals and groups, which the US Treasury Department said were suspected of conducting or financing terrorist activities.
US Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neill said the new suspect list includes businesses and charitable organisations that funnel money to the al-Qaida network of alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
Roschacher said earlier this month that the Swiss investigation had so far failed to find any indications that Switzerland had been used for any significant elements in the planning for the attacks on Washington and New York.
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