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Another suspect in the Postbus scandal.
Pascal TischhauserDeputy Head of Policy
So now it is: Adriano Vassalli, a former member of the Post board of directors, is suspected of having been involved in the Postbus bust. The Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), which is conducting the administrative criminal proceedings relating to the scandal, has expanded the group of suspects to include the former Vice President. According to Blick information, he is also accused of benefit fraud. Fedpol does not comment on this.
For years, Postbus had made illegal profits on subsidized routes, but had hidden them. Postbus raked in millions of francs too much. The yellow giant paid back more than 200 million Swiss francs.
Re-rolled
The first attempt to convict six former PostBus and Swiss Post executives for fraud failed in 2020. Fedpol had entrusted two external experts with conducting the proceedings, but the Bernese Economic Criminal Court and higher instances believed that there was no legal basis for this.
Fedpol had to reopen the procedure. New data was collected. The investigators apparently suspected the former board of directors and head of the “Audit, Risk & Compliance” committee.
Informed since autumn
Invented tires, hidden profits, obtained subsidies by fraud
The bomb burst on a Tuesday: On February 6, 2018, Peter Füglistaler (62), Director of the Federal Office of Transport (BAV), announced that Postbus had made illegal profits in subsidized passenger transport and hidden them.
A little later, the then Post CEO Susanne Ruoff (64) says: “Something wrong happened in a corner of Postauto AG.” You only found out about it in November 2017 through the BAV.
Only: That’s not true. It wasn’t just a minor traffic accident in a corner of Postbus! The company stole more than 200 million Swiss francs from the state. And as late as February, Blick made public with internal documents that the Post leadership had to be in the picture about what was going on. As early as May 2013, she discussed how profits in subsidized regional transport can be hidden at a meeting on the subject of “Protection of Profits”.
Postbus was imaginative when it came to hiding things: Postbus made two bills for each individual bus route – and cheated on both. The federal government, cantons and municipalities that subsidize the Postbus routes only saw what they were supposed to see – additional costs for invented tires, for diesel and for staff. «Creative accounting».
In mid-February, the federal government filed criminal charges with the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (BA) and the Bern public prosecutor’s office because of the transfer of profits – against all Swiss Post bodies, including management and the members of the Board of Directors. But neither the BA nor the Bernese public prosecutors wanted to investigate, whereupon the Federal Council ordered the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), headed by Nicoletta della Valle (61), to conduct administrative criminal proceedings on the Postbus bust.
On June 10, Susanne Ruoff (64) announced her resignation as Post boss. A day later, the postal administrative board released the management of Postauto AG with immediate effect.
Fedpol commissioned two external prosecutors, former federal judge Hans Mathys and Neuchâtel cantonal judge Pierre Cornu – but there is no legal basis for this.
The bomb burst on a Tuesday: On February 6, 2018, Peter Füglistaler (62), Director of the Federal Office of Transport (BAV), announced that Postbus had written illegal profits in subsidized passenger transport and hidden them.
A little later, the then Post CEO Susanne Ruoff (64) says: “Something wrong happened in a corner of Postauto AG.” You only found out about it in November 2017 through the BAV.
Only: That’s not true. It wasn’t just a minor traffic accident in a corner of Postbus! The company stole more than 200 million Swiss francs from the state. And as late as February, Blick made public with internal documents that the Post leadership had to be in the picture about what was going on. As early as May 2013, she discussed how profits in subsidized regional transport can be hidden at a meeting on the subject of “Protection of Profits”.
Postbus was imaginative when it came to hiding things: Postbus made two bills for each individual bus route – and cheated on both. The federal government, cantons and municipalities that subsidize the Postbus routes only saw what they were supposed to see – additional costs for invented tires, for diesel and for staff. «Creative accounting».
In mid-February, the federal government filed criminal charges with the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (BA) and the Bern public prosecutor’s office because of the transfer of profits – against all Swiss Post bodies, including management and the members of the Board of Directors. But neither the BA nor the Bernese public prosecutors wanted to investigate, whereupon the Federal Council ordered the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), headed by Nicoletta della Valle (61), to conduct administrative criminal proceedings on the Postbus bust.
On June 10, Susanne Ruoff (64) announced her resignation as Post boss. A day later, the postal administrative board released the management of Postauto AG with immediate effect.
Fedpol commissioned two external prosecutors, former federal judge Hans Mathys and Neuchâtel cantonal judge Pierre Cornu – but there is no legal basis for this.
Vassalli confirms to Blick that he was informed in the autumn that he was one of the suspects. But he emphasizes: “I don’t know who did what. But I know for sure that I’m innocent.” He couldn’t understand why he was suddenly accused.
However, the subject was a memo dated August 21, 2013, which Blick made public in February 2018. It speaks of “cost transfers at the expense of publicly financed transport”. Because of this note, Vassalli is said to have known about the fraud.
None, signals Vassallli. Not he, but the Post itself proved that he never received the memo. When former postal minister Doris Leuthard (59) announced Vassalli’s resignation for spring 2019 on June 10, 2018, she also said that the postal vice president was able to prove that he never received the note.
“Undetectable”
The Postbus investigation report, prepared by the law firm Kellerhals Carrard, states that a person in internal audit assured Vassalli: “You will get the reports on paper. This cannot be proven.”
When asked about this, Vassalli insisted that he did not receive the note on paper either. The Ticino points out that the note states that there is no need for action. It is also evident that Postbus is looking for a solution with the regulator, probably the Federal Office of Transport (BAV). That’s why he didn’t have to see the note.
“Nothing to cover up”
It is a mystery to him why Vassalli was targeted by Fedpol investigators, even though he was not considered a suspect at first attempt. He was never summoned. “I don’t even know what exactly makes me a suspect.”
However, it does not reflect well on Vassalli that, according to the investigation report, in autumn 2015 he objected to the BAV being given access to the in-depth audit reports. “I don’t know exactly which matter that was supposed to be about,” says Vassalli, he would have to look it up in the report. “But contrary to the impression given, I wanted quick clarification with the BAV because I had nothing to cover up.”
In the fall of 2017, the BAV Postbus found out. It blew up the scandal in February 2018. Vassalli emphasizes that he hopes that the process will be completed soon. “Then it will be clear that I am not guilty of anything.”
The presumption of innocence applies to him and all other suspects.