Defendants did not settle debts despite millions in assets
Published: Monday, Oct 21st 2024, 16:00
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A couple accused of fraud in Bern allegedly accumulated tax debts and failed to pay them off despite having millions in assets in Liechtenstein. They did not even try to pay off partial amounts. "That wouldn't have helped", said the accused pensioner.
The money would not have been enough to pay everything anyway, the slight man in his mid-seventies explained to the Commercial Criminal Court. That's why it didn't make sense to pay smaller amounts. In fact, loss certificates amounting to a good 16 million francs had accumulated in recent years following seizures.
From the mostly vague statements made by the accused on Monday, it could be concluded that the man had probably felt that the taxes he had paid years ago were too high. From then on, the tax debts began to pile up, as the accused indicated with a wave of his hand. He has been carrying this story around with him for 25 years now.
The public prosecutor's office accuses the couple of deceiving the authorities for years with a web of lies. They had concealed their true assets. The couple had hidden well over three million francs from the Swiss authorities in a Liechtenstein bank.
They told the authorities responsible for the seizures that they had no attachable assets or future income. The two had also divorced in order to make it easier to conceal things from the authorities, according to the indictment.
City of Bern as the main victim
The couple also allegedly tried to buy back millions in loss certificates for a few thousand francs, far below their value. After several attempts, the canton of Bern accepted an offer in 2019. "Better than nothing," said the official responsible for the deal at the Canton of Bern at the time, who gave evidence in court. However, the City of Bern, as the main claimant, did not agree to the deal.
The couple also received social welfare and supplementary benefits. "Received, yes, defrauded, no", the accused emphasized in court. The court president wanted to know what he was thinking when he applied for supplementary benefits or social welfare, knowing that he had a good three million francs in a Liechtenstein bank. "Not much," replied the defendant.
The co-defendant woman emphasized in court that she had nothing to do with the alleged fraud. The public prosecutor's office accuses her of having committed the acts together with her husband and of having supported him.
During a house search at their home, the police found expensive cars, fur coats, luxury handbags, wines, watches and other valuables. The two defendants are presumed innocent until a final verdict has been reached.
©Keystone/SDA
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