Further legal assistance dossiers handed over to Kenya
Bern, 20.09.2012 - Kenyan criminal prosecution authorities receive additional legal assistance dossiers for investigation into Anglo-Leasing affair. The Federal Office of Justice (FoJ) today handed over further banking records and other documents obtained by the Office of the Attorney General to the Swiss lawyer who is representing Kenya's interest in the mutual assistance proceedings.
The Kenyan criminal prosecution authorities had submitted a series of requests to Switzerland for legal assistance in connection with the Anglo-Leasing affair. They suspect a number of individuals of procuring lucrative government contracts by bribing civil servants. These cases of alleged corruption have an international dimension, with companies in Switzerland also thought to have been involved.
The Office of the Attorney General had issued a total of twelve final rulings in the course of the mutual assistance proceedings up to the end of 2011. In seven of these cases, evidence obtained in Switzerland had already been handed over to the Kenyan criminal prosecution authorities. In five cases, the companies concerned contested the final ruling before the Federal Criminal Court. In its decisions of 2 August 2012, the Court rejected three of the appeals, and ruled that the other two were inadmissible. Specifically, it held that the requests for legal assistance had been lawfully submitted to Switzerland by an authority with jurisdiction over the alleged offences. Since the companies decided not to pursue an appeal before the Federal Supreme Court, the decisions became final after the 10-day appeal period had expired unused. Today's handover of further evidence concludes Swiss involvement in the mutual legal assistance proceedings surrounding the Anglo-Leasing affair.
Address for enquiries
Jeannette Balmer, Spokeswoman OAG, +41 31 324 32 40, info@ba.admin.ch
Publisher
Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland
http://www.ba.admin.ch/
Federal Office of Justice
http://www.bj.admin.ch
