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Parliamentary probes to demand Credit Suisse clarity

Building work sign by Credit Suisse office
Government invoked emergency powers to force through the takeover of Credit Suisse by UBS. © Keystone / Georgios Kefalas

Swiss parliamentary experts will scrutinise the roles of the finance ministry and financial regulator in the collapse of Credit Suisse.

The Senate audit committee on Friday said it has demanded explanations on a range of open questions.

+ Why a monster UBS scares Switzerland

These include the supervision of Credit Suisse, the application of existing banking regulations and the rationale behind the government assuming emergency powers to force through the takeover by UBS.

Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives are expected to hold hearings in May, a month after a full parliament extraordinary session on the matter scheduled for April 11 to 13.

Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, Financial Market Supervisory Authority President Marlene Amstad and central bank President Thomas Jordan will likely be called on to testify.

They will be asked to defend their actions, give reasons why alternative routes were not taken and explain their risk management procedures.

The leftwing Social Democratic Party has called for a full parliamentary commission of inquiry, which are usually reserved for matters of acute national interest or emergency.

Social Democrats want the inquiry to force bank executives to hand back bonuses, to make UBS spin-off Credit Suisse’s Swiss retail operations and limit large Swiss bank operations in future.

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