Convicted Sri Lanka embassy staffer in Switzerland
The kidnap claims of a Swiss embassy staffer sparked a diplomatic row with Sri Lanka.
Keystone / Chamila Karunarathne
An employee of the Swiss embassy to Sri Lanka, who was fined on charges of fabricating a kidnap, has been flown to Switzerland.
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The woman was at the centre of a diplomatic row between the two countries in 2019 after claiming she had been bundled into a car and abducted in Sri Lanka.
This followed the issuance of a Swiss visa to a former police inspector who fled Sri Lanka after investigating the family of the then President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis was directly drawn into the affair with his Sri Lankan counterpart.
Earlier this month, the woman was fined on charges of “disaffection on the government and fabricating false evidence”.
The Swiss authorities on Wednesday confirmed that the embassy staffer had arrived in the country and that Switzerland would bear the cost.
But the foreign ministry refused to provide further details, citing personal confidentiality.
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Sri Lanka case against Swiss embassy staffer ends with small fine
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A local employee of the Swiss embassy in Sri Lanka accused of making false statements has been fined the equivalent of CHF14 ($16).
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Swiss diplomat to intervene in Sri Lanka embassy abduction row
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The alleged abduction and intimidation of the Swiss embassy worker last month has resulted in a diplomatic spat between the two countries. It is alleged that the woman was threatened in order to force her to disclose “embassy-related information”. This is believed to be connected to a high-ranking Sri Lankan police officer who fled to…
Sri Lanka launches probe into kidnapping of Swiss embassy worker
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The Sri Lankan authorities have initiated a probe into the alleged kidnapping and threats made against a local employee of the Swiss embassy in the capital, Colombo.
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