The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Commodity trader’s Swiss conviction overturned

Sentence overturned for commodities trader
Sentence overturned for commodities trader Keystone-SDA

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a commodities trader who had been given a suspended sentence and fined CHF72 million.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

The judges noted that the proceedings conducted by prosecutors for the same facts had been closed.

In June 2020, the Lausanne District Court sentenced the businessman to 270 days’ suspended fine of CHF3,000 and a fine of CHF72 million. Having lived in the region for some 15 years, the Canadian was found guilty of tax fraud.

This verdict was first overturned by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in November 2022, due to a violation of the defendant’s right to be heard. In a ruling published on Friday, the 1st Court of Criminal Law once again censured the Vaud judiciary.

This time, the judges at Mon Repos noted that proceedings brought by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPC) against the trader for a similar set of facts had been closed in June 2021. In accordance with the “Ne bis in idem” principle, the interested party will therefore not be sentenced.

Translated from French by DeepL/mga

This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.

If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Army seeks "contemporary" solution for bunker facilities

More

Swiss army looks to repurpose old bunkers

This content was published on The army is looking for a modern solution for its decommissioned fortress mortar bunkers, with plans to turn them into hardened defence hubs.

Read more: Swiss army looks to repurpose old bunkers
Women's Euro: Berne celebrates a football festival without a happy ending

More

Switzerland knocked out of Women’s Euro 2025

This content was published on Spain ended Switzerland’s run in the Women’s Euros on Friday, but fans in Bern made history with the largest supporters’ march in Women’s Euros history.

Read more: Switzerland knocked out of Women’s Euro 2025
Solar aeroplane flies around the Matterhorn

More

Solar plane flies around Matterhorn

This content was published on Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.

Read more: Solar plane flies around Matterhorn
Compulsory vaccination against cattle disease in Geneva and parts of Vaud

More

Vaccinations imposed for some Swiss cattle

This content was published on Cattle in the canton of Geneva and in the neighbouring region of Terre Sainte in the canton of Vaud are being vaccinated against the contagious viral skin nodule disease. The first cases of the animal disease were reported at the end of June in France, just outside Geneva.

Read more: Vaccinations imposed for some Swiss cattle
Small rockfalls occurred above Brienz GR

More

Rockfalls measured above Swiss village

This content was published on A series of rockfalls occurred above the village of Brienz between 9 and 12 July. According to the municipality of Albula, the overall situation remains tense. Several people disregarded the ban on entering the area around the village.

Read more: Rockfalls measured above Swiss village
Arosa Bergbahnen with record sales

More

Arosa cable cars celebrate record year

This content was published on Arosa Bergbahnen achieved the highest figure in its 95-year history in the 2024/25 financial year with net revenue of CHF 37 million. Arosa Lenzerheide was able to capitalise on strengths such as snow reliability and the size of the ski area in a long winter season, the company announced on Thursday.

Read more: Arosa cable cars celebrate record year

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR