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Former secret service chief Jean-Philipp Gaudin went further than previously known.
The case is more serious than known. It was clear so far: The former head of the intelligence service (NDB), Jean-Philippe Gaudin (60), violated internal instructions when awarding a service contract.
But what the business inspection delegation (GPDel) is now bringing to light makes the former FIS director appear in a completely different light.
During his tenure as head of the secret service, Gaudin had employed a man as a “secret advisor” who, among other things, gained notoriety for writing numerous letters to the editor in Swiss newspapers. The man collected 5,000 francs a month for this, plus expenses.
“It’s clearly illegal”
On top of that. The GPDel is “disturbed” that the private consultant also analyzed the members of parliament for Gaudin after the 2019 national elections. The man had cataloged the national and state councils: He divided the people’s representatives according to which “the FIS director would be ‘helpful’ or ‘negative attitude'”. That writes the parliamentary supervision in its recently published annual report.
For the GPDel it is clear: This is an inadmissible processing of information about political activity and the exercise of freedom of expression, a clear violation of the Intelligence Service Act. This prohibits the secret service from obtaining or processing information about political activities. “It’s clearly illegal,” said GPDel President, Green Councilor Maya Graf (60), to Radio SRF.
It was not until the annual report that it became known that Gaudin’s adviser secretly met with foreign diplomats and representatives of international organizations. To do this, however, he would have had to go through an internal recruitment process and be supervised. None of that happened.
The case is much more serious
An administrative investigation had actually come to the conclusion that there were no criminally relevant facts, as the Defense Department (DDPS) emphasized in a statement in December.
Now it’s becoming clear that it’s not just about a legally sensitive service contract, as DDPS head Viola Amherd (60) said before the National Council.
The parliamentary supervision also wants to clarify whether the questionable consultancy contract is an isolated case or whether the intelligence service “possibly has other problematic contracts of this type”. The GPDel has specifically turned on the Swiss Federal Audit Office to examine all existing contracts.
Amherd had separated from NDB boss Gaudin in May 2021, even before the dubious award of the contract became public. The consultant case had no consequences for the former intelligence chief.
Now the supervisor wants to know exactly
However, the DDPS appears to have been well aware of the scope of the violations. Externally, however, the department obviously did not want to show any weaknesses. Amherd’s department is also unimpressed by the parliamentary criticism towards Radio SRF. It still sees no reason to file a complaint about the violations.
This raises more and more questions about the former NDB director. So Gaudin also had to approach special investigator Peter Marti (72), as the Sunday Blick made public. The former intelligence chief pleaded that a trial would be “his end.” The special counsel had questioned Gaudin in connection with the Crypto affair. (dba)