More cases of suspected illegal Covid payments reported
Restaurants and many shops were forced to close and limit access but they were eligible for government funds to soften the impact of the restrictions.
Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi
The national financial supervisory body says more than 200 Swiss firms paid dividends despite a ban as they benefited from government-backed credits during the Covid crisis.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/urs
The Federal Audit Office on Monday said a total of CHF43.1 million ($47 million) in payments to shareholders were made during the first three months of this year.
The officeExternal link said it checked more than 125,000 data sets about credits of CHF14.5 billion and notified the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco).
Seco filed 20 criminal complaints about suspected abuse of credits of about CHF5 million by the beginning of May.
It’s not the first report about alleged fraud, but the office said cases were “not a mass phenomenon”.
For its part, Seco on Tuesday announced it had received more than 1,000 reports about alleged abuses of government funds for the short-time working compensations.
The audit office said it examined payments to the tune of CHF11 billion to nearly 160,000 companies between March 2020 and March 2021.
Three financial pillars, also including a loss-of earnings scheme, were set up last year to soften the impact of government restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid. Parliament amended the system several times.
Related Stories
Popular Stories
More
Swiss diplomacy
Switzerland signs controversial reconstruction aid package for Ukraine
Positive first appraisal of Swiss integration centre for refugees
This content was published on
The Swiss justice minister Beat Jans visited the Swiss Red Cross training centre for refugees in canton Bern to meet those in a special training programme.
Swiss and German leaders discuss European security and tariffs pressure
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin to discuss their countries' commitment to security in Europe and the consequences of US tariffs.
Fossil uncovered in southern Switzerland of prehistoric aquatic reptile
This content was published on
During excavations in Meride, southern Switzerland, researchers from the Ticino natural history museum discovered for the first time an aquatic reptile of the genus Lariosaurus with preserved skin.
EU appoints German diplomat as new ambassador to Switzerland
This content was published on
German diplomat Andreas Künne is the European Union's new ambassador-designate for Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, the EU announced on Tuesday.
Swiss Post to re-start shipping some packages to US
This content was published on
From Thursday, private customers will once again be able to send packages with a value of up to $100 (CHF124) to the United States via Swiss Post.
Continuing professional training leads to higher income, Swiss study shows
This content was published on
According to a study by the Swiss statistical office, ten years after graduating, people who continue training earn more than those who have not taken any further training.
Bern Film Awards go to two documentaries and one feature
This content was published on
This year's Bern Film Awards honour documentaries about inheritance, the island of Stromboli and a feature film about a single mother.
Switzerland ends study on exposure to PFAS and pesticides to cut costs
This content was published on
The Federal Office for Public Health has decided to discontinue a long-term study on the impact of forever chemicals on human health due to the federal government's cost-cutting measures.
Nestlé sacks CEO Laurent Freixe after affair with employee
This content was published on
Swiss food giant Nestlé has dismissed its CEO, Laurent Freixe, after an investigation uncovered a relationship with a female employee.
Number of suspected Covid bail-out fraud cases explodes
This content was published on
The latest reportExternal link from the Federal Audit Office (FAO) shows a rise in detected irregularities from 859 at the end of July to 4,646 in October. Most companies are suspected of paying dividends, which is not allowed under the loan terms, or inflating reported turnover to secure a bigger loan. The suspected bad apples…
Audit office denies ‘mass phenomenon’ of Covid-19 credit abuse
This content was published on
An interim report on government pay-outs to businesses during the Covid-19 crisis has revealed that there is suspected abuse in less than 1% of cases.
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.