Kazakhstan lobbying case closed
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has suspended a criminal investigation against a former parliamentarian suspected of corruption over lobbying efforts by Kazakhstan.
The decision, which is subject to appeal, was announced by the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper on Tuesday. The justice authorities have refused to give details on the case.
The inquiry was opened in April last year against Christian Miesch, a former representative of the Swiss People’s Party, and a lobbyist – and former Swiss ambassador – Thomas Borer. Both cases were reportedly dropped based on a decision taken earlier this month.
Miesch was suspected of accepting money – CHF4,635 ($4,637) – in return for trying to serve the interests of Kazakhstan in parliament and lost his parliamentary immunity. He has denied any wrongdoing but stepped down in 2015.
Initially, two other parliamentarians were also involved in the case, but they did not have their immunity from prosecution lifted.
The media coverage of the affair has come in for criticism by one of the accused.
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