Departmental allocation in the Federal Council leads to legal repercussions
Published: Saturday, Jul 20th 2024, 10:30
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The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland is conducting criminal proceedings relating to the allocation of departments in the Federal Council last December. It is directed against persons unknown and is based on suspicion of a breach of official secrecy.
On request, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland confirmed a corresponding report in the CH-Media newspapers on the same day. The Office of the Attorney General did not provide any further details. According to the newspapers mentioned, the Federal Chancellery has filed a complaint.
The departmental allocation last December 14 ended with a surprise for many: the incumbent Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider moved to the Department of Home Affairs after just one year in the Department of Justice and Police. The newly elected Beat Jans took over the previous duties of her party colleague Baume-Schneider.
Following the announcement of the decision, media reports stated that President Viola Amherd had only been informed of Baume-Schneider's wish to change departments very shortly before the start of the meeting on the allocation of departments. There was displeasure in the Federal Council about Baume-Schneider's change and Amherd's chairing of the meeting.
A few days later, the President of the Swiss Confederation said on Swiss Radio SRF's "Samstagsrundschau" program that she had been informed by Baume-Schneider more than a quarter of an hour before the meeting began. Furthermore, no one had expressed any concerns during the meeting. "This is now being circulated afterwards," Amherd said on the radio. "I don't know where that came from".
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