Philippines ex-prosecutor files lawsuit against Swiss attorneys over Marcos assets

Former Philippines General Prosecutor Francisco Chavez has filed a lawsuit against a prominent Swiss bank and several attorneys, accusing them of money-laundering and bribery in connection with funds of the late Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos.

Former Philippines General Prosecutor Francisco Chavez has filed a lawsuit against a prominent Swiss bank and several attorneys, accusing them of money-laundering and bribery in connection with funds of the late Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos.

The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the legal move on Tuesday, saying it had passed on the documents to regional prosecutors in cantons Zurich and Geneva, as well as the Federal Banking Commission.

The lawsuit targets Zurich’s district prosecutor Dieter Jann, his former colleague Peter Cosandey as well as several other lawyers and employees of UBS, one of Switzerland’s top two banks.

Chavez accuses them of money laundering, bribery, abuse of power and favouritism, saying they deliberately withheld evidence that there were still $13 billion of Marcos assets in Swiss banks.

Jann rejected Philippines media reports which claimed that Marcos and several of his supporters had stashed away about $100 million worth of government funds in Swiss banks. Jann said those reports were exaggerated.

In June, Switzerland began handing over millions of dollars deposited in Swiss accounts by close aides and supporters of Marcos. The transfer included $4.6 million deposited in a Swiss account by Benjamin Romualdez, a former Philippines ambassador to the United States.

Last year, Switzerland handed over all remaining personal assets held by the Marcos family in Swiss banks. Those assets totalled about $570 million.


From staff and wire reports.