Mexico freezes suspicious university funds received via Switzerland
According to the Mexican Treasury, the University of Hidalgo received the money via Switzerland from accounts in 22 countries.
Keystone
Mexico’s treasury has frozen $156 million (CHF156 million) of a large public university’s funds while it investigates suspected money laundering. The university received the money via Switzerland from accounts in 22 countries, according to the government agency.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/jdp
On Friday, the chairman of the financial intelligence service of the Mexican treasury, Santiago Nieto, announced an investigation into funds received by the University of Hidalgo after Mexico’s financial system alerted authorities of “unusual” movements.
According to the financial intelligence service, in addition to Switzerland, the remittances came from Spain, Great Britain and other countries.
The director of the university, Adolfo Pontigo Loyola, stated in a statement on Friday that the university had not yet been contacted in the case. “We have neither money that does not belong to the university, nor in the name of the university, nor have we received money from any other country”. He stated that he would cooperate with the investigation.
Nieto declined to offer more details on the open investigation. He says the funds would remain frozen until the situation was investigated.
The Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo is located in east-central Mexico and is one of the oldest and largest research universities in the country.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
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
Record reached for suspected money-laundering reports
This content was published on
Record number of reports made to the Swiss money-laundering watchdog in 2017, worth a “striking” CHF16 billion ($16.2 billion), the agency has said.
This content was published on
The Mexican government has been showing great interest in the Swiss vocational training system, where apprentices learn a trade. It’s hoped an alliance between Swiss companies in Mexico and the government there can now help to firmly establish apprenticeships in the country. Although Mexico has been seeing strong economic growth for years and many international…
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.