ZURICH - The Swiss state prosecutor said on Sunday it had opened criminal proceedings against Syrian and Libyan citizens on suspicion of money laundering.
Jeannette Balmer, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor, said Swiss authorities had received reports from the money laundering agency in connection with Libya and Syria, but could not give concrete details.Keen to step up efforts to shake off its image as a haven for ill-gotten funds, Switzerland has enacted strict laws in recent years on money-laundering.
In the case of Syria, the investigation concerns assets presumed to belong to those close to Syrian President Bashar Assad deposited in banks in western Switzerland, the
NZZ am Sonntag newspaper reported on Sunday.
