Switzerland will try a former Gambian minister under ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh for crimes against humanity on Monday in a milestone case where a serial rape victim will testify after a multi-decade wait for justice.

Former interior minister Ousman Sonko will become the highest-ranking official to be tried in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction that allows grave crimes to be prosecuted anywhere, said Swiss campaign group TRIAL International which filed the complaint against him.

Nine Gambian plaintiffs will travel to Switzerland for the scheduled Jan. 8-30 trial at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona in a case rights activists see as ensuring global accountability for the worst atrocities.

Sonko, 54, faces charges including murder, multiple rapes, and torture between 2000-2016 in what is Switzerland's second trial ever for crimes against humanity. He denies the charges.

"It has been a long period of waiting, waiting with anger, anxiety. But I am very optimistic now and I feel so happy. I am smelling justice," said Madi Ceesay, a 67-year-old plaintiff who says he was detained and tortured under Sonko.

The defendant's lawyer Philippe Currat plans to ask the court to abandon the case, citing problems with the investigations and hearings.

"Since the beginning, I have been stupefied by the way this file has been handled," he told Reuters, saying some of the evidence in the indictment was based on "secret" hearings in Gambia and that interviewees had not been informed of their rights.

<h2>'Struggling for 25 years'</h2>

One of the plaintiffs is Binta Jamba who, according to the indictment, was raped multiple times by Sonko between 2000-2002 after he murdered her husband in connection with an alleged planned coup attempt.

Once, in 2005, he held her captive for five days, beating her and raping her repeatedly, the indictment said. She fell pregnant by him twice and he paid for the abortions.

"Me and my family have been struggling with this for almost 25 years now," she said in a message sent to Reuters. "Without justice, I will never have peace in my life."

Currat says he can prove that Sonko was abroad during much of the period of the rape accusations.

He will also argue that many of the alleged crimes against humanity, including the rape charges, happened before a relevant Swiss law took effect in 2011 and are not admissible.

Sonko, 54, was arrested in early 2017 in Switzerland, where he was seeking asylum. Jammeh's 22-year repressive rule ended in January 2017 after he lost an election and was forced to flee.

Sonko could face a life sentence as the maximum possible penalty.

Currat says his treatment in Swiss jails has been cruel and that he was denied food and given inadequate medical care.

Fatoumatta Sandeng, the daughter of Solo Sandeng, a Gambian opposition activist killed in custody in 2016, said she is eager to look into Sonko's eyes in court. "If we don't hold people accountable, things like this will keep happening in Gambia, in Africa, all over the world," she said.

Switzerland will try a former Gambian minister under ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh for crimes against humanity on Monday in a milestone case where a serial rape victim will testify after a multi-decade wait for justice.

Switzerland will try a former Gambian minister under ousted dictator Yahya Jammeh for crimes against humanity on Monday in a milestone case where a serial rape victim will testify after a multi-decade wait for justice. Former interior minister Ousman Sonko will become the highest-ranking official to be tried in Europe under the principle of universal jurisdiction that allows grave crimes to be prosecuted anywhere, said Swiss campaign group TRIAL International which filed the complaint against him. Nine Gambian plaintiffs will travel to Switzerland for the scheduled Jan. 8-30 trial at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona in a case rights activists see as ensuring global accountability for the worst atrocities. Sonko, 54, faces charges including murder, multiple rapes, and torture between 2000-2016 in what is Switzerland's second trial ever for crimes against humanity. He denies the charges. "It has been a long period of waiting, waiting with anger, anxiety. But I am very optimistic now and I feel so happy. I am smelling justice," said Madi Ceesay, a 67-year-old plaintiff who says he was detained and tortured under Sonko. The defendant's lawyer Philippe Currat plans to ask the court to abandon the case, citing problems with the investigations and hearings. "Since the beginning, I have been stupefied by the way this file has been handled," he told Reuters, saying some of the evidence in the indictment was based on "secret" hearings in Gambia and that interviewees had not been informed of their rights. 'Struggling for 25 years' One of the plaintiffs is Binta Jamba who, according to the indictment, was raped multiple times by Sonko between 2000-2002 after he murdered her husband in connection with an alleged planned coup attempt. Once, in 2005, he held her captive for five days, beating her and raping her repeatedly, the indictment said. She fell pregnant by him twice and he paid for the abortions. "Me and my family have been struggling with this for almost 25 years now," she said in a message sent to Reuters. "Without justice, I will never have peace in my life." Currat says he can prove that Sonko was abroad during much of the period of the rape accusations. He will also argue that many of the alleged crimes against humanity, including the rape charges, happened before a relevant Swiss law took effect in 2011 and are not admissible. Sonko, 54, was arrested in early 2017 in Switzerland, where he was seeking asylum. Jammeh's 22-year repressive rule ended in January 2017 after he lost an election and was forced to flee. Sonko could face a life sentence as the maximum possible penalty. Currat says his treatment in Swiss jails has been cruel and that he was denied food and given inadequate medical care. Fatoumatta Sandeng, the daughter of Solo Sandeng, a Gambian opposition activist killed in custody in 2016, said she is eager to look into Sonko's eyes in court. "If we don't hold people accountable, things like this will keep happening in Gambia, in Africa, all over the world," she said.

Gambian ex-minister Ousman Sonko faces rape, torture charges in long-awaited Swiss trial

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini are due to appear in a Swiss court on Wednesday facing corruption charges which triggered their downfall from the summit of global football.

Swiss prosecutors accuse the pair, once among the game`s most powerful figures, of unlawfully arranging a payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.08 million) in 2011 from FIFA to Platini. The case meant Blatter ended his 17-year reign as FIFA president in disgrace and torpedoed hopes by former France midfielder Platini of succeeding him.

It is one of 25 investigations by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into corruption in football, with some 12 still pending. Following a six-year investigation, the OAG accused Blatter, 86, of "fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation, in the further alternative of criminal mismanagement as well as of forgery of a document".

Platini, 66, is accused of fraud, misappropriation, participating in criminal mismanagement as an accomplice, and forgery of a document. Blatter and Platini, who were once close associates but are now bitter enemies, have both denied wrongdoing. They say they had a verbal agreement over the payment, which related to consultancy work by Platini between 1998 and 2002.

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Three judges at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, will hear the case in the trial which runs until June 22. A verdict is due on July 8. If convicted, Platini and Blatter face up to five years in jail. 
"This case goes back to an event in 2011. It is an administrative matter, a salary payment that was owed," said Blatter. "The matter was correctly declared as a salary payment, accounted for accordingly and approved by all the relevant bodies of FIFA."

Platini said: "I approach this hearing with serenity and confidence. I am convinced that justice will be fully and definitively done to me after so many years of wild accusations and slander. We will prove in court that I acted with the utmost honesty, that the payment of the remaining salary was due to me by FIFA and is perfectly legal."

FIFA`s Ethics Committee banned Blatter and Platini from football in 2015, initially for eight years, although this was later reduced. The committee said the transaction, made when Blatter was seeking re-election, lacked transparency and presented a conflict of interest.

When Blatter approved the payment, he was campaigning for re-election against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar. Platini, as president of European soccer association UEFA, was seen as having sway with European members who could influence the vote. The OAG said its investigation revealed that Platini worked as a consultant between 1998-2002 and that an annual compensation of 300,000 Swiss francs was contractually agreed.

Platini`s invoice had been paid in full but the former France international later demanded further salary payments of two million francs, it said. Platini, who captained France to victory in the 1984 European Championships, was forced to quit UEFA in 2016 after losing his appeal against his ban. He also lost his appeal at the European Court of Human Rights.

The three-time European footballer of the year had been favourite to replace Blatter after the Swiss administrator quit in the wake of the huge corruption scandal which engulfed FIFA in 2015. Instead, Platini`s former general secretary at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, entered the FIFA race and won the election in 2016.

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini are due to appear in a Swiss court on Wednesday facing corruption charges which triggered their downfall from the summit of global football.

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini are due to appear in a Swiss court on Wednesday facing corruption charges which triggered their downfall from the summit of global football. Swiss prosecutors accuse the pair, once among the game`s most powerful figures, of unlawfully arranging a payment of two million Swiss francs ($2.08 million) in 2011 from FIFA to Platini. The case meant Blatter ended his 17-year reign as FIFA president in disgrace and torpedoed hopes by former France midfielder Platini of succeeding him. It is one of 25 investigations by the Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG) into corruption in football, with some 12 still pending. Following a six-year investigation, the OAG accused Blatter, 86, of "fraud, in the alternative of misappropriation, in the further alternative of criminal mismanagement as well as of forgery of a document". Platini, 66, is accused of fraud, misappropriation, participating in criminal mismanagement as an accomplice, and forgery of a document. Blatter and Platini, who were once close associates but are now bitter enemies, have both denied wrongdoing. They say they had a verbal agreement over the payment, which related to consultancy work by Platini between 1998 and 2002. ALSO READ | Neymar strikes from penalty spot as Brazil beat Japan 1-0 Three judges at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, will hear the case in the trial which runs until June 22. A verdict is due on July 8. If convicted, Platini and Blatter face up to five years in jail. "This case goes back to an event in 2011. It is an administrative matter, a salary payment that was owed," said Blatter. "The matter was correctly declared as a salary payment, accounted for accordingly and approved by all the relevant bodies of FIFA." Platini said: "I approach this hearing with serenity and confidence. I am convinced that justice will be fully and definitively done to me after so many years of wild accusations and slander. We will prove in court that I acted with the utmost honesty, that the payment of the remaining salary was due to me by FIFA and is perfectly legal." FIFA`s Ethics Committee banned Blatter and Platini from football in 2015, initially for eight years, although this was later reduced. The committee said the transaction, made when Blatter was seeking re-election, lacked transparency and presented a conflict of interest. When Blatter approved the payment, he was campaigning for re-election against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar. Platini, as president of European soccer association UEFA, was seen as having sway with European members who could influence the vote. The OAG said its investigation revealed that Platini worked as a consultant between 1998-2002 and that an annual compensation of 300,000 Swiss francs was contractually agreed. Platini`s invoice had been paid in full but the former France international later demanded further salary payments of two million francs, it said. Platini, who captained France to victory in the 1984 European Championships, was forced to quit UEFA in 2016 after losing his appeal against his ban. He also lost his appeal at the European Court of Human Rights. The three-time European footballer of the year had been favourite to replace Blatter after the Swiss administrator quit in the wake of the huge corruption scandal which engulfed FIFA in 2015. Instead, Platini`s former general secretary at UEFA, Gianni Infantino, entered the FIFA race and won the election in 2016.

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini face Swiss corruption trail

Switzerland-based Credit Suisse seems to have landed in trouble recently. In a Swiss court on Monday, the investment banking company will face charges of allowing an alleged Bulgarian cocaine trafficking gang to launder millions of euros. Some of it seems to have been stuffed into suitcases. &nbsp;

According to the Swiss prosecutors, the country’s second-biggest bank and a former relationship manager of the organisation did not take all the required steps to prevent the alleged drug traffickers from hiding and laundering cash from 2004 to 2008. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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In what is the first criminal trial of a major bank in Switzerland, the prosecutors are seeking around 42.4 million Swiss francs in compensation from the bank. &nbsp;

The indictment in the case runs into over 500 pages. It centres on the relationships that Credit Suisse and its ex-employee had with former Bulgarian wrestler Evelin Banev and multiple associates. In the case, a second indictment charges a former relationship manager at Julius Baer with facilitating money laundering. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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Credit Suisse has said that it would “defend itself vigorously in court”. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In a statement to Reuters, the bank said, “Credit Suisse unreservedly rejects as meritless all allegations in this legacy matter raised against it and is convinced that its former employee is innocent.” &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Switzerland-based Credit Suisse seems to have landed in trouble recently. In a Swiss court on Monday, the investment banking company will face charges of allowing an alleged Bulgarian cocaine trafficking gang to launder millions of euros.

Switzerland-based Credit Suisse seems to have landed in trouble recently. In a Swiss court on Monday, the investment banking company will face charges of allowing an alleged Bulgarian cocaine trafficking gang to launder millions of euros. Some of it seems to have been stuffed into suitcases. According to the Swiss prosecutors, the country’s second-biggest bank and a former relationship manager of the organisation did not take all the required steps to prevent the alleged drug traffickers from hiding and laundering cash from 2004 to 2008. Also Read: At Charles’s coronation, Camilla to get Queen Elizabeth II’s priceless 1937 Koh-i-Noor crown In what is the first criminal trial of a major bank in Switzerland, the prosecutors are seeking around 42.4 million Swiss francs in compensation from the bank. The indictment in the case runs into over 500 pages. It centres on the relationships that Credit Suisse and its ex-employee had with former Bulgarian wrestler Evelin Banev and multiple associates. In the case, a second indictment charges a former relationship manager at Julius Baer with facilitating money laundering. Also Read: Trendy look? Belgium starts to issue passports with country's comic strip heroes’ images Credit Suisse has said that it would “defend itself vigorously in court”. In a statement to Reuters, the bank said, “Credit Suisse unreservedly rejects as meritless all allegations in this legacy matter raised against it and is convinced that its former employee is innocent.” (With inputs from agencies)

Credit Suisse to face money laundering charges in trial for aiding alleged Bulgarian cocaine traffickers

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Gambian ex-minister Ousman Sonko faces rape, torture charges in long-awaited Swiss trial

Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA President Michel Platini face Swiss corruption trail

Credit Suisse to face money laundering charges in trial for aiding alleged Bulgarian cocaine traffickers