Swiss police chief want criminals to prove they are not laundering money

Fedpol chief raises the issue of reversing the burden of proof in money laundering cases Keystone-SDA

According to the head of the Federal Office of Police, Eva Wildi-Cortés, Switzerland must now take decisive and targeted action against organised crime. In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag, she brought up the reversal of the burden of proof in cases of money laundering.

Italy is familiar with this principle, said the head of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) in the interview published on Sunday. In the event of suspicion, it must be proven that the money comes from legal sources. Otherwise, the money goes to the state coffers.

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When asked whether she would also like to introduce this in Switzerland, the Fedpol chief said the Fedpol was constantly examining which changes at the legal level could make operational work more efficient.

Cryptocurrencies for concealment

She described the increase in suspicious activity reports to the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) as “massive”. Suspicious activity reports grew by more than a quarter to 15,141 last year compared to 2023, as MROS announced at the beginning of May. Fedpol has increased its resources in this area, said Wildi-Cortés. Among other things, it is trying to relieve some of the burden through automation.

According to MROS, 92% of these reports came from financial intermediaries in the banking sector. The proportion of suspected illegal money flows in cryptocurrencies is growing, said the Fedpol chief in response to a question. It is easier to disguise the origin of money with cryptocurrencies. “In addition, this area is barely regulated compared to the traditional financial sector,” said Wildi-Cortés. Fedpol has also increased its resources in this area.

Strategy is in progress

“If we don’t want shootings and street fights like in the Netherlands, Belgium or Sweden, Switzerland must act now,” said the Fedpol chief. Fedpol is currently working flat out to develop a strategy to combat organised crime together with the cantons, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and other authorities by the end of the year. Fedpol received the mandate for this in November last year. At the same time, the fight against terrorism remains a priority, said Wildi-Cortés.

The Fedpol chief also urged the exchange of information between the cantons to move forward. In particular, it must be possible to exchange information via the Polap police enquiry platform. The cantons and Fedpol are in the process of creating the necessary foundations “as quickly as possible”, she said, adding. “We plan to have a draft amendment to the constitution and law ready before the end of this year.”

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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