ZURICH (Reuters) -The Swiss Attorney General’s Office (OAG) said on Friday it had indicted private bank Lombard Odier and one of its former employees over aggravated money laundering.
The bank and its former employee are suspected of having played a decisive role in enabling the concealment of the proceeds of a vehicle set up by Gulnara Karimova, a daughter of the late president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, the OAG said.
The OAG alleges Lombard Odier failed to comply with anti-money laundering standards and its own internal guidelines in opening and managing nine bank accounts under suspicion.
Lombard Odier did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Karimova, who was indicted by the Swiss OAG last year over alleged participation in a criminal organisation that operated in various countries, including Switzerland, could not immediately be reached for comment.
She and another person are suspected of participating in a criminal organisation known as the “Office”, which operated in several countries, and of laundering proceeds in Switzerland, between 2005 and 2012, the OAG said.
Investigations have led the OAG to believe that part of the money laundered in Switzerland may have been transferred using bank accounts at Lombard Odier in Geneva, it said.
The former employee of the bank worked in Lombard Odier’s private clients’ department between 2008 and 2012, and is suspected of having opened or arranged for the opening of the nine bank accounts.
(Reporting by Dave Graham and Oliver Hirt; editing by Rachel More and Jason Neely)
Swiss
