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Ex-Swiss rail catering boss handed three year jail term for fraud

Ex-Elvetino boss sentenced to 36 months' imprisonment in Zurich
Ex-Elvetino boss sentenced to 36 months' imprisonment in Zurich Keystone-SDA

The former head of Elvetino, the catering unit of Swiss Federal Railways, has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for fraud by the Zurich District Court.

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The 68-year-old is to serve one year behind bars, with a further two years suspended.

The court also sentenced two colleagues to suspended prison sentences of 24 and 12 months. In addition, the defendants have to pay fines and damages of several hundreds of thousands of Swiss francs.

The former Elvetino boss was convicted of embezzlement, attempted fraud and fraudulent mismanagement, among other charges. One colleague was convicted of aiding and abetting dishonest business management, the other of multiple counts of fraud and active bribery. The verdicts are not yet final.

The defendants had insisted on acquittals with regard to the Elvetino allegations. According to one of the ex-CEO’s two defence lawyers, no damage had been done to the company.

The public prosecutor’s office accused the ex-Elvetino boss of dipping into the cash register and conducting illegal transactions with colleagues.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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