By Ese Awhotu
13 June 2010
Abuja — Perturbed by the high spate of corruption involving looting of public funds from African countries, including Nigeria, the Switzerland government has perfected plans to expose all banking secrets and stolen assets stashed to the country by corrupt government officials.
Switzerland said it no longer wants stolen assets from corrupt individuals or governments in its banks and wanted to give them back to those populations who have suffered the consequences of their kleptocratic governments.
According to Micheline Calmy-Rey, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, it was not about image but rather about justice. For the last fifteen years, Switzerland has embarked on reforms directed towards its banking sector, which in the past allowed African dictators to amass colossal sums of money to the detriment of their poverty stricken populations.
Calmy-Rey who disclosed this at a forum that focused on ill-gotten gains, in Paris, saw Switzerland welcoming other countries to learn from its experience on the subject matter.
