Switzerland

OECD backs off publishing an offshore ‘hit list’

April 30, 2000

The much-vaunted publication of a tax haven 'hit list' by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has been put off for at least a year. The OECD had planned to name those territories deemed to engage in "harmful tax practices" in June of this year, after which the 29 OECD member countries would seek to punish those on the list by introducing "defensive measures".

Ukraine: Pavel Lazarenko et al

April 28, 2000

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Ukraine into Pavlo Ivanovych Lazarenko, a former Prime Minister; Myckola Ivanovych Agafonov, Petro Myckolayiovych Kirichenko and Igor Olexandrovych Polozhentsev for alleged fraud, embezzlement and corruption.

Switzerland: Gerard Blohorn et al

April 26, 2000

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into Gerard Blohorn, Michel Pichard, Jean Marie Degueldre, Bernard Bouloc, Robert Gauthier, Florence Amaudric du Chaffaut, Francois Blohorn, Louis Blohorn, Stephane Blohorn and Sybille Blohorn for possible fraud regarding the estate of the late Emile Andre Blohorn.

USA v. Reath Foundation: Forfeiture Complaint

March 9, 2000

Forfeiture Complaint in USA v. Account at Banque Paribas (Suisse) SA in the name of Reath Foundation at the U. S. District Court for the District of Idaho.

Insider Talking: January 31, 2000

January 31, 2000

Liquidators of First Cayman Bank reach settlement with former Cayman government minister McKeeva Bush, First Nevisian's Keith Leslie King testifies at civil trial in the Isle of Man, Jordan Bionda denies he is a fraudster, conman Keem Kalfon promotes his Global Heritage Asset Protection 'fund', attorney Julian Hall is declared bankrupt in Bermuda, Bermuda's international business sector voices concern over Government plans to introduce tougher new work permit rules for foreign workers, offshore crook Marc Harris compares himself to Albert Einstein, Florida judge orders Harris Organization to pay costs after losing a libel action against OffshoreAlert's publisher.

TCI Police asked to investigate alleged stock fraud against Asian investors

July 31, 1999

Police in the Turks & Caicos Islands are to be asked to investigate a company that was allegedly used to defraud mainly Asian investors, according to a recent report in the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong."Peddlers of worthless shares in the Grand Financial Fund, Equity Mutual Trust and Mercantile Securities now appear to be working from the Turks and Caicos Islands," stated the newspaper in an article published on July 12, 1999.

Switzerland: Fritz Allemann

July 16, 1999

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into Fritz Allemann for allegedly perpetrating an advance-fee fraud involving International Bancorp for Investment and Credit, Inc.

Switzerland: Maria Fernanda Espinel

June 21, 1999

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Switzerland into Maria Fernanda Espinel for alleged money laundering.

Interclaim (Bermuda) freezes $200 m of assets controlled by callous white-collar criminals

March 31, 1999

Debt recovery firm Interclaim (Bermuda) Limited made international headlines recently after a series of daring legal manoeuvres in several countries against the type of heartless criminals who have become accustomed to getting away with their crimes.The company, which operates from Dublin, Ireland, has successfully frozen in the region of US$200 million of assets linked with Blair Down, a Canadian businessman who created his wealth by ripping off the elderly.

Poland: Alexei Bragontchuk

February 24, 1999

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in Poland into Alexei Bragontchuk and for alleged fraud and money laundering regarding the proceeds of weapons trafficking.

Swiss American Bank wins lawsuit brought by US government

November 30, 1998

The US government has lost its bid to recover $7 million from banks in Antigua, Panama and Switzerland that were the proceeds of marijuana smuggling carried out in Massachusetts. Judge William Young, of the Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston, dismissed a lawsuit brought against Swiss American Bank and Swiss American National Bank (both of Antigua), Swiss American Holding Company S.A. of Panama and Inter-Maritime Bank of Geneva.

US government battles for jurisdiction over Swiss American Bank

June 30, 1998

A battle for legal jurisdiction between the US government and four offshore financial institutions in a $7 million forfeiture case contains a number of important issues that will affect all companies and individuals who operate offshore but have US clients.Among arguments being put forward by the US government for jurisdiction over banking entities located in Antigua, Switzerland and Panama is the fact that the offshore companies sell their services over the Internet, which can be accessed in the US; that Swiss American Bank has advertised in the in-flight magazine of American Airlines; and that SAB has correspondent banking relationships with banks in the States.

US government sues Swiss American Bank-Inter-Maritime Bank group

January 30, 1998

The US government has filed a landmark civil lawsuit against banks in Antigua, Panama and Switzerland in an attempt to recover $7 million that it claims are the proceeds of criminal activity.The lawsuit is considered to be of significance to other offshore tax havens because it will test the ability of the US government to enforce home-based judgements in foreign territories against offshore companies who collaborate with money launderers.The US government is suing Swiss American Bank Ltd. and Swiss American National Bank Ltd., which are both registered in Antigua; Swiss American Holding Company S. A. of Panama and Inter-Maritime Bank of Geneva.

Werner Rey loses extradition appeal in the Bahamas

October 31, 1997

The Bahamas Court of Appeal this month upheld a lower court's decision to extradite businessman Werner Rey to face embezzlement charges involving millions of dollars in his native Switzerland.

Bankruptcy action in Cayman against Peter Kruger

September 29, 1997

Four years after filing an apparently false bankruptcy in Switzerland, Swiss national Peter Kruger is again subject to bankruptcy proceedings - this time in his adopted home of the Cayman Islands.

USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali: Amended Criminal Judgment

June 17, 1997

Amended Criminal Judgment in USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Werner Rey hearing postponed

May 28, 1997

The Bahamas Appeal Court has postponed a hearing into the appeal by Swiss businessman Werner Rey against his extradition to Switzerland. Proceedings had been scheduled to begin on May 26.Rey is appealing a Bahamas Supreme Court decision in April to extradite him to his homeland, where he is wanted on charges of fraud, forgery and bankruptcy offences in connection with the Omni group, which collapsed in 1991 with losses exceeding SwFr1 billion.

Kruger loses Cayman extradition battle as another fugitive, John Felderhof, arrives

May 28, 1997

As one millionaire fugitive was finally forced to leave his paradise island hiding place to face the music back home, another took his place to cause further embarrassment to the Cayman Islands.Swiss businessman Peter Kruger gave up a 16 month battle to escape justice by leaving the Cayman Islands on May 15 to return to Switzerland to face charges of bankruptcy fraud involving nearly US$272 million.But his place in the public eye has already been taken by John Felderhof, the former chief geologist of Bre-X Minerals, a would-be mining firm that defrauded investors of about $4 billion through false claims of gold finds in Indonesia.

Kruger faces second extradition warrant

March 24, 1997

Swiss national Peter M. Kruger, who cost Credit Suisse, Swiss Bank and others millions of dollars, has been re-arrested in the Cayman Islands on an extradition warrant from Switzerland just six months after his original extradition arrest had been thrown out by the Cayman courts.

Peter Kruger gives up extradition fight in Cayman

March 24, 1997

Swiss national Peter Kruger, who is wanted in Switzerland on charges of filing a false bankruptcy of US$270 million, has given up his long fight against extradition from the Cayman Islands and has said he will voluntarily return to his homeland in the "very near future".

USA v. Daniel Enright et al: Superseding Indictment (‘Tax Fraud’)

August 27, 1996

Superseding Indictment alleging tax fraud and money laundering in USA v. Daniel Enright, Igor Erlikh, Aron Misulovin, Demetrios Karamanos, Richard Pedroni, Richard Santo, David Wasserstrom, Kevin Ginty, Ruslan Erlikh, Aron Chervin, John Ruocco, Ilya Klotsman, Arnold Zeidenfeld, Vadim Brusilovsky, Mary Ingram, Michael Lipkin, Alex Krechmar, Varujan Amroyan, Ilya Gorodetsky, Igor Yusim, Thomas Hampton, Rafail Shirl, and Anatoly Kogan at the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.

USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali: Criminal Judgment

May 1, 1996

Criminal Judgment in USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

United Kingdom: Gerhard Martens et al

March 25, 1996

Application for the appointment of a Commissioner to collect evidence for a criminal investigation in the United Kingdom into an alleged advance fee fraud by Gerhard Martens and others.

USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali: Plea Agreement

February 7, 1996

Plea Agreement in USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali: Criminal Information

January 31, 1996

Criminal Information in USA v. Jean-Jacques Handali at the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

USA v. Kenneth Rijock: Government’s Motion For Sentence Reduction

October 16, 1991

Government's Motion for Sentence Reduction in USA v. Kenneth Rijock at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

USA v. Kenneth Rijock: Criminal Information

August 3, 1990

Criminal Information in USA v. Kenneth Walton Rijock at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

USA v. Kenneth Rijock et al: Superseding Indictment

July 12, 1990

Superseding Indictment in USA v. Kenneth Walton Rijock, Herberto Julian Rodriguez, a.k.a. Tico Rodriguez, a.k.a. Herberto Castellano; Michael Clinton Gruener, a.k.a. Michael Rossi, and Christine Marie Dickinson at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

USA v. Kenneth Rijock et al: Criminal Indictment

May 10, 1990

Criminal Indictment in USA v. Kenneth Walton Rijock, Herberto Julian Rodriguez, Michael Clinton Gruener, and Christine Marie Dickinson at the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.