© KEYSTONE/KARL MATHIS
Switzerland must better fight once morest the mafia, according to the former prosecutor at the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Confederation Rosa Cappa. To do this, specialized police units and stricter laws once morest Mafia assets must be put in place.
“The situation in Switzerland is very serious,” said the one who served as federal prosecutor between 2003 and 2015 in an interview published on Saturday by Blick.ch. “Thirty years ago, the mafia only brought us its money in its bank accounts. Today, its members live among us, they have settled down.”
Ms. Cappa, now a lawyer in Ticino, spoke regarding twenty mafia cells in Switzerland. According to her, the Mafiosi and their families are infiltrating the economy by investing in restaurants, hotels, buildings and businesses, in order to launder money. They are also integrated into society: they live in villages, go to church and are active in associations.
Switzerland has so far underestimated the problem, according to the 54-year-old lawyer: “Most of the time it has been content to provide legal aid to Italy and has hardly been active itself. same”. It is more comfortable “to kick a criminal out and pretend it solves the problem.”
Ms. Cappa accuses the highest Swiss investigative authority, of which she herself was a part at the time, for having abandoned Mafia-related investigations for reasons of image. These were too costly and the chances of success were too uncertain.
Confiscate the funds of relatives
To change the situation, the former prosecutor proposes to set up specialized police units in Switzerland. The property of a mafioso must also be able to be confiscated, regardless of whether the latter is convicted or not. “In Italy, the Mafiosi fear for their property, unlike here”. In addition, the funds of parents and business partners must also be capable of being confiscated.
The cantonal police forces, which are geographically the closest to mafia cells, today have little in the way of resources and skills, the lawyer further underlined. Mafia organized crime is the business of the Confederation, but the Confederation mainly focuses on economic crimes.
In October, the director of the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), Nicoletta della Valle, also pointed out shortcomings in the fight once morest the mafia in Switzerland and advocated a better exchange of information between the cantons and the Confederation.
In December, the National Council accepted a postulate from Marco Romano (Center / TI) to this effect. The government must now examine the existing instruments and possible adaptations of the law.
