THE SWISS GOVERNMENT HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS FREEZING FOR ONE YEAR THE ASSETS OF FORMER ZAIREAN PRESIDENT MOBUTU SESE SEKO AND MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY. THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ORDERED SWISS BANKS TO RENEW A SEARCH FOR MR. MOBUTU'S HOLDINGS. ANTI-MOBUTU FORCES HAVE WELCOMED THE MOVE. BUT SOME SWISS ARE CRITICAL: THEY SAY MR. MOBUTU IS JUST THE LATEST DICTATOR TO BENEFIT FROM THE COUNTRY'S BANKING SECRECY LAWS.THE NEW "DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO" -- FORMERLY ZAIRE -- SAYS THE FREEZE ON MR. MOBUTU'S HOLDINGS PUTS IT ONE STEP CLOSER TO ITS GOAL: RETURNING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS -- IF NOT BILLIONS -- OF DOLLARS TO THE NATIONAL TREASURY. A SPOKESMAN FOR SWITZERLAND'S FEDERAL BUREAU OF POLICE AFFAIRS SAYS NOW, IT'S UNLIKELY PRESIDENT MOBUTU -- OR HIS FAMILY -- WOULD BE ABLE TO WITHDRW OR CLOSE ANY ACCOUNTS IN HIS NAME.
JOSE MUTOMBO-KADY [PRON KAH'-DEE] IS A SPOKESMAN FOR LAURENT KABILA'S (REBEL) A-D-F-L ALLIANCE IN GENEVA.
THE POSITION OF THE ALLIANCE IS SIMPLE: PRESIDENT KABILA HAS SAID THAT MOBUTU MUST RETURN TO THE ZAIREAN PEOPLE ALL THE MONEY HE HAS STOLEN. MOBUTU IS NOT STUPID: WE ARE SURE HE HAS ALREADY [HIDDEN] -- OR IS PREPARING TO HIDE PART OF HIS HOLDINGS. BUT WE ARE IN CONTACT WITH BANKERS, AND WE KNOW THAT IN EVERY BANK THERE ARE DOCUMENTS -- SO MONEY CANNOT JUST "FLY AWAY" [DISAPPEAR]. BUT IN ANY CASE, WE ARE GOING TO ASK THE SWISS TO PUT AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE NEW CONGOLESE AUTHORITIES ALL THE JUDICIAL MEANS NECESSARY [TO] FIND OUT WHERE ALL OF MOBUTU'S MONEY IS -- AND, IF NECESSARY, THE PLACES WHERE HE COULD HAVE PUT THE MONEY AFTER HAVING TAKEN IT OUT OF SWITZERLAND.
THERE IS SOME DISPUTE OVER THE AMOUNT OF MONEY MR. MOBUTU HAS IN SWITZERLAND. LAST WEEK, A STUDY BY LONDON'S FINANCIAL TIMES SAID HIS FORTUNE COULD TOP FOUR-BILLION DOLLARS. BUT OTHERS SAY MR. MOBUTU HAS USED MUCH OF IT OVER THE YEARS ON HIS FAMILY AND RELATIVES, MEDICAL TREATMENT, ON MERCENARIES TO FIGHT OFF A-D-F-L REBELS -- AND EVEN TO BUY OFF ZAIRE'S POLITICAL OPPOSITION OVER THE YEARS. OBSERVERS SAY THAT INCLUDES USING HIS MONEY TO [SECRETLY] CREATE -- AND SUSTAIN -- POLITICAL PARTIES AFTER DONORS FORCED HIM TO INTRODUCE MULTY-PARTY POLITICS SEVEN YEARS AGO.
BUT SWITZERLAND'S FEDERAL BANKING COMMISSION SAYS THE COUNTRY'S TOP BANKS HAVE UNDERTAKEN AN INFORMAL INVESTIGATION -- WHICH SHOWS NO LISTINGS UNDER THE MOBUTU NAME. HOWEVER, THE COMMISSION SAY IT IS ASKING ALL OF SWITZERLAND'S 400 BANKS TO EXTEND THE SEARCH TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S POSSIBLE BUSINESS PARTNERS AS WELL.
WHILE SOME SAY MR. MOBUTU MAY HAVE MOVED HIS FORTUNE ABROAD, OTHERS ARE NOT SO SURE.
SWISS CRITICS SAY PRESIDENT MOBUTU'S SON, KONGOLO, OFTEN CAME TO ZAIRE TO ENGAGE IN TRANSACTIONS -- AND THAT HIS FORMER AMERICAN WIFE SPOKE ABOUT THE INVESTMENTS IN THEIR DIVORCE CASE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
JEAN ZIEGLER IS A SOCIALIST DEMOCRAT AND A MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENT'S FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE. HE SAYS SWITZERLAND'S BANK SECRECY LAWS, STABILITY AND INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE FINANCIAL WORLD MAKE IT UNLIKELY PRESIDENT MOBUTU WOULD HAVE MOVED HIS INVESTMENTS.
MR. ZIEGLER ALSO DOUBTS THE BANKING COMMISSION'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT NO MOBUTU ASSETS HAVE BEEN FOUND:
THEY HAVE TO PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS; WE HAVE BANKING SECRECY, NUMBERED ACCOUNTS [WITH NO NAMES ATTACHED] THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT. [THE BANKERS AND THE GOVERNMENT] ARE VERY HYPOCRITICAL. "NEUTRALITY" IS JUST A LIE TO MAKE MONEY. SWITZERLAND IS THE SECOND RICHEST COUNTRY ON EARTH PER CAPITA INCOME. [BUT] WE DO NOT HAVE ANY RAW MATERIALS WHATSOEVER, WE ARE ONE OF POOREST COUNTRIES [IN RAW MATERIALS] OUR RAW MATERIAL IS FOREIGN MONEY -- FROM WHEREVER IT COMES. SO IF [THE SWISS BANKS] EXPOSE MOBUTU AND GIVE BACK MONEY TO NEW RULERS OF ZAIRE -- THEN THIS SIGNAL WILL BE VERY BAD FOR ALL THE OTHER GROUPS WHO HAVE THEIR MONEY IN SWITZERLAND: [PRESIDENT] SADDAM HUSSEIN [OR IRAQ], [FORMER PRESIDENT] MANUEL NORIEGA [OF PANAMA], THE [FORMER RULING] HAILE SELASSIE FAMILY [OF ETHIOPIA], THE [FORMER RULING] DUVALIER FAMILY [OF HAITI] AND SO ON. THEY HAVE TO PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS TO THE END.
MR. ZIEGLER SAYS SWISS BANKERS AND THE GOVERNMENT ARE TOO CLOSELY LINKED. HE SAYS THE GOVERNMENT -- AND THE BANKING INDUSTRY -- PLACE MORE EMPHASIS ON MONEY RATHER THAN MORALITY. MR. ZIEGLER WANTS TO INTRODUCE GREATER "DEMOCRACY" -- OR PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY -- TO BOTH SWISS AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS. SWISS LAWMAKERS ARE ALSO CONSIDERING GREATER PROTECTION FOR WHISTLE-BLOWERS WHO REVEAL INFORMATION ABOUT BANK WRONG-DOING. THIS CAME ABOUT AFTER A RECENT CASE WHERE A NIGHT WATCHMAN PREVENTED THE SHREDDING OF WORLD WAR TWO DOCUMENTS. THEY IMPLICATED THE UNION BANK OF SWITZERLAND OF TRAFFICKING IN NAZI GOLD.
TAKING A MORE CONSERVATIVE VIEW IS THE SWISS BANKERS' ASSOCIATION IN BASIL. SYLVIA MATILE IS ITS SPOKESWOMAN:
WE KNOW MR. ZEIGLER QUITE WELL, AND WE KNOW HIM FOR CRITICIZING THE BANKS FOR OVER 30 OR 40 YEARS. AND HE QUITE OFTEN SEEMS TO IGNORE VOLUNTARILY [OUR] STRICT REGULATIONS AND ALL THE EFFORTS OF THE BANKS TO DO THEIR BUSINESS CORRECTLY.
ONE OF THE REGULATIONS IS THE SO-CALLED "DUE-DILIGENCE "LAW. -- ALSO ALSO KNOWN AS THE "AGREEMENT ON SWISS BANKS CODE OF CONDUCT" IT MEANS THAT EACH BANK MUST IDENTIFY ITS CUSTOMERS. BANK OFFICIALS MUST ASK A CLIENT -- WHETHER IT BE A FRONT COMPANY OR LAWYER -- TO NAME ALL BUSINESS ASSOCIATES. MS. MATILE THAT WOULD INCLUDE MR. MOBUTU OR MEMBERS OF HIS FAMILY.
IT IS A DIFFICULT TASK FOR A BANKER TO FIND OUT IF A CUSTOMER IS TELLING THE TRUTH. SO ASKING A PERSON IN FRONT OF YOU WHO IS THE BENEFICIAL OWNER IS A BIT LIKE TAKING A FLASH LIGHT AND TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING IN THE DARK BECAUSE THE BANKS DO NOT HAVE ANY POLICE POWERS. SO IT DEPENDS A LOT ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BANKER AND HIS COMMON SENSE. IT'S (ALSO) NOT REALLY EASY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO LOOK NOT ONLY UNDER THE NAMES OF MOBUTU AND HIS FAMILY BUT POTENTIAL OTHER PEOPLE NEAR HIM. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, YOU WILL FIND NAMES -- AND THAT IS ONE POINT MR. ZIEGLER WANTS TO IGNORE. HE SPEAKS OF SECRET NUMBERED ACCOUNTS. THERE ARE NONE. EVEN NUMBERED ACCOUNTS HAVE NAMES, AND THOSE NAMES ARE KNOWN TO BANK OFFICIALS.
SYLVIA MATILE SAYS THE DECISION TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT FOR A POLITICIAN OR A CONTROVERSIAL CUSTOMERS IS NOW THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BANK'S UPPER MANAGMENT -- AND NOT A LOWER-LEVEL WORKER. THE SUPERVISORY "FEDERAL BANKING COMMISSION" CAN SANCTION -- AND EVEN CLOSE -- ANY BANK THAT IS ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL ACTS. THIS IS ONE REASON WHY MS. MATILE SAYS MANY BANKERS SHUN NEGATIVE HEADLINES -- AND THE DICTATORS BEHIND THEM.
IT IS QUITE IMPROBABLE THAT THE BANKS, KNOWING SINCE SUCH A LONG TIME THAT MOBUTU IS A DICTATOR AND HIS REPUTATION IS QUITE BAD, IT IS QUITE IMPROBABLE THAT THE BANKS WOULD HAVE KEPT SUCH A CUSTOMER [AS MR. MOBUTU]. SEEING THE RISK, FOR INSTANCE, OF BEING ACCUSEE OF MONEY LAUNDERING OR HAVING SANCTIONS FROM THE SUPERVISORY BODY OF THE BANK, THE FEDERAL BANKING COMMISSION.
LAST WEEK'S ANNOUNCED FREEZE ON MR. MOBUTU'S ASSETS WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON AT LEAST THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE KNOWN IN SWITZERLAND. THEY INCLUDE A LAVISH 30-ROOM VILLA IN SAVIGNY [EAST OF LAUSANNE] ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH MORE THAN FIVE-MILLION DOLLARS. MR. MOBUTU BOUGHT IT OVER 30 YEARS AGO FOR HIS FIRST WIFE, MARIE ANTOINETTE -- BUT IT IS NOW REPORTEDLY USED BY HIS ASSOCIATES.
ZAIREAN PROSECUTORS IN LUMBUMBASHI ARE ALSO PLANNING TO ASK OTHER COUNTRIES TO FREEZE ANY OF MR. MOBUTU'S ASSETS -- INCLUDING THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES, FRANCE, AND PORTUGAL. ANTI-MOBUTU FORCES SAY THEY MAY ALSO SEEK PRESIDENT MOBUTU'S EXTRADICTION FROM WHATEVER COUNTRY HE SETTLES IN -- OR ASK FOR AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL TO HOLD MR. MOBUTU ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS YEARS OF PILLLAGE.
19-May-97
Source: Voice of America