Swiss army under fire over officers’ expenses

The critical audit report described army helicopter rides offered to officers' wives and partners to allow them to attend an evening dinner in the mountain resort of Crans Montana in 2017 © KEYSTONE / MARCEL BIERI

A defence ministry audit report has found extravagant use of public funds by Swiss army officers, including helicopter rides and free golf lessons for officers’ wives. Defence Minister Guy Parmelin said measures have already been introduced to stop such “excesses” in the future. 

On Monday, the Tamedia news groupExternal link and La Liberté newspaper revealed details of the audit report and army investigations into officers’ expenses. They said it found that in June 2017, the wives and partners of 18 top officers were transported at the taxpayers’ expense by helicopter from different parts of Switzerland to canton Valais for an evening dinner and overnight stay at a Crans Montana hotel, and were offered free golf lessons the next day. This practice was described as a tradition. 

The audit report also described officers participating in expensive alcoholic dinners paid for by the army, including a meal for 3,500 staff and 500 guests in Grenchen in 2015 costing CHF500,000. 

On Monday evening, Defence Minister Guy Parmelin admitted to Swiss public radio RTS that “public funds had not been well spent” in such cases.

While stressing that army investigations had found nothing illegal or requiring disciplinary action, he said corrective measures had been taken and stricter rules on expenses were effective from September 1, 2018, so that such “excesses” no longer happen. He said he still had full trust in his top officers. 

The Tages-Anzeiger claimed elements of the expenses scandal were revealed to investigators by the Swiss army’s chief medical officer Andreas Stettbacher, who in September 2017 was cleared of charges related to suspected financial irregularities and breaches of office. 

Monday’s news has nonetheless caused surprise and anger in political circles in Bern. Tages-Anzeiger reported on Tuesday that the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee wanted to question Parmelin about the affair. 

+ Read more about the expenses scandal in Geneva

The officers’ controversy comes after an expenses scandal involving the Geneva city council. The Office of the Attorney General of Geneva has opened an investigation into the council’s alleged “dishonest management of public interests”. 

Earlier this month, a highly critical audit reportExternal link denounced members of the Geneva city council for claiming exorbitant amounts for expenses, such as champagne, taxis and telephone bills. The council insists that most of the audit report’s recommendations have been taken on board and that new, stricter rules have been introduced for claiming expenses.