MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Swiss Attorney General denies Argentina’s union leader is under investigation

Swiss Ambassador in Buenos Aires Johanees Matyassi

The office of the Swiss Attorney General Friday confirmed Friday it has asked Argentine authorities for legal assistance amid an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering.

In an emailed statement, the office of the Swiss Attorney General said the investigation was being conducted against persons unknown. It said that neither Argentine union leader Hugo Moyano nor his son is under investigation in Switzerland.

Moyano heads Argentina's powerful labour union umbrella group Confederacion General de Trabajo. Argentina's truckers union said earlier this week it will hold a national strike Monday to protest what it called the political persecution of Moyano. It had criticized the legal request by Swiss authorities.

The Swiss Attorney General said it launched the investigation January 24 after having been alerted by the Swiss Money Laundering Reporting Office. The attorney general said the investigation is ongoing, and declined to make further comments.

Earlier in the day Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide officially responded to the information request issued by Swiss prosecutors.

Meanwhile the Swiss Ambassador in Buenos Aires Johanees Matyassi informed the Argentine government that the investigation that was initiated over alleged money laundering is not tied to Moyano and his organization.

The Argentine English language daily BuenosAiresHerald.com received the same reply from Switzerland’s Attorney General’s office, which is included below.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman clarified Switzerland’s statements, saying that “There is no investigation involving Hugo Moyano and Pablo Moyano.”

Dear Madam,

In this context, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) began a criminal investigation relating to offences of money laundering (Art. 305bis Swiss Criminal Code) on 24 January 2011 based on a report from the Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS). The investigation relates to persons unknown, and accordingly, the Argentine Union Leader and his son are not under investigation in Switzerland!

The investigation aims to identify the persons potentially responsible for the alleged acts, to establish the decisive evidence and to take the interim measures required.

In the course of the investigation, the OAG has requested assistance from the Argentine authorities by submitting to them a request for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (MLAT), of which you are aware.

As the investigations are not yet complete, we are currently unable to provide you with more detailed information on the ongoing proceedings.

Best regards, Jeannette Balmer Spokeswoman