Tidjane Thiam’s ex-housekeeper stands trial in Meilen ZH
Published: Wednesday, Jul 24th 2024, 12:50
Updated At: Tuesday, Aug 6th 2024, 04:50
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A former domestic servant of ex-Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam is on trial today, Tuesday, in Meilen ZH. The 43-year-old had blackmailed Thiam by e-mail and demanded over half a million francs from him.
The Romanian woman was employed as a domestic worker in Thiam's villa in Herrliberg. The working relationship obviously did not end harmoniously: the woman was of the opinion that the former Credit Suisse boss still owed her a lot of money.
In the blackmailing email that Thiam received in March 2021, the woman demanded 587,000 francs, according to the indictment. She wrote that she "did not want to harm him". She therefore offered to settle their differences and the dispute over alleged "grievances" with this payment.
Otherwise, she would inform the trade unions and the International Olympic Committee, of which Thiam was already a member at the time. However, her plan did not work. Thiam did not pay, but turned to the police.
Public prosecutor demands conditional prison sentence
According to the indictment, the public prosecutor's office is demanding a conditional prison sentence of 7 months and a fine of CHF 1,200. The woman is to be sentenced for attempted coercion and attempted blackmail. It is not yet clear when the verdict will be announced.
Tidjane Thiam, a French-Ivorian dual national, was CEO of the former major bank Credit Suisse from 2015 to 2020, which was taken over by rival UBS in spring 2023.
The stately residence in Herrliberg, where the accused housekeeper was employed, caused even more problems for Thiam: His direct neighbor was Iqbal Khan, then head of asset management at CS and therefore Thiam's subordinate. When Khan moved to UBS, Thiam had detectives follow him.
In February 2020, Thiam resigned as CS CEO after months of spying headlines and moved abroad. He sold the villa in Herrliberg. Thiam currently wants to concentrate on politics. In December 2023, he became chairman of the right-wing liberal Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI).
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