GKB confirms 60 million loan to Signa Group for the first time
Published: Friday, Mar 15th 2024, 11:50
Updated At: Saturday, Mar 16th 2024, 00:59
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Der Präsident der Graubündner Kantonalbank (GKB), Peter Fanconi, hat am Freitag die Gerüchte um einen 60-Millionen-Franken-Kredit bestätigt. Das Geld ging an die Signa-Gruppe des angeschlagenen Immobilienmoguls René Benko.
The loan is secured by first-class collateral, Fanconi told the Graubünden daily newspaper "Südostschweiz". The Globus building in Zurich serves as collateral. From the bank's point of view, such a loan makes perfect sense.
Dennoch gab der Bündner Finanzdirektor Martin Bühler (FDP) am Donnerstag bekannt, dass die Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Ernst & Young eine externe Untersuchung der Kreditvergabe eingeleitet hat. Die Ergebnisse werden in den nächsten Wochen erwartet.
At the weekend, the Sonntagszeitung newspaper quoted from emails that allegedly show conversations between Fanconi and Benko. These are said to show that Fanconi may have received benefits because he indirectly helped Benko obtain loans from other cantonal banks. Fanconi is said to have acted as a "door opener".
However, his spokesperson emphasized that Fanconi had never received any benefits. Moreover, the investigation is not primarily about Fanconi, but about the general process of granting loans.
"They wanted to harm me"
In the interview, Fanconi also spoke of a defamation campaign against the Graubünden bank. This "defamation campaign" was presumably about distracting attention from himself. "They wanted to damage me, and if you look at the media reports of the past few days, they succeeded," said Fanconi.
He had done nothing wrong. He merely maintained a collegial, albeit loose, business relationship with Benko. Fanconi suspects that hackers or Benko and his entourage are behind the leaked emails.
Other cantonal banks also involved
Neben der Bank Julius Bär haben auch mehrere Kantonalbanken dem angeschlagenen Immobilienmogul Benko Millionenkredite gewährt, darunter die Zürcher und die Aargauer Kantonalbank. Letztere gewährte Kredite in Höhe von 73 Millionen Franken.
The Aargau government commented on this at the beginning of the month and described the transactions as "low-risk" in comparison. The loans are property financing with long-term rental agreements.
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