Scandalous: dark clouds are once again gathering over the Swiss arms factory Ruag. (archive image)Image: keystone
The Ruag defense company is under pressure because of an alleged fraud involving millions in Mexico and the CEO of Julius Baer is calling for a register for fallible bankers based on the international model: the Sunday news.
02/08/2026, 08:0302/08/2026, 08:49
Abuse prevention: Swiss bishops do not want external controls
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, Swiss bishops have blocked external controls of new assessments to prevent abuse. The tests, which cost around 500,000 francs and were developed for prospective pastors, were intended to identify potential threats, but the assessment of the reports rests exclusively with the dioceses, the newspaper wrote. A national register of rejected candidates is not planned, a spokesman for the Swiss Bishops’ Conference (SBK) wrote upon request. There was a heated dispute between the Roman Catholic Central Conference (RKZ) and the SBK over the question of who had access to the dossiers. The RKZ did not want to comment on this. Affected organizations such as IG M!kU called for binding, cross-diocesan protection standards. The canon lawyer Thomas Schüller also found clear words: “Assessments that are only available to the respective bishop are pure window politics.”
Next Ruag scandal? Report on million-dollar fraud in Mexico
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the Swiss defense company Ruag is involved in an alleged fraud worth millions in Mexico. A local business partner took over the import processing for spare parts and maintenance work on F-5 fighter jets and deliberately declared highly inflated goods values in order to skim off money through VAT. In addition, he received high commissions, while his wife submitted numerous invoices for alleged legal advice. The newspaper wrote that Ruag is assuming millions in damage. The company did not say whether a report had been filed. According to “SonntagsBlick”, the case points to structural deficits in logistics and control of state operations. A forensic investigation commissioned by the board of directors is still ongoing, and Ruag is no longer working with the Mexican business partner.
Despite millions paid: USA does not provide Switzerland with a delivery schedule for Patriots
According to “NZZ am Sonntag”, the USA has not yet presented Switzerland with a binding delivery plan for the ordered Patriot air defense systems. The delivery of the five systems will be delayed significantly beyond 2028 and may become more expensive, even though the federal government has already paid 650 million francs. Talks with the USA are continuing, wrote the Armasuisse Federal Office for Armaments at the newspaper’s request. According to well-informed sources, the Defense Department hopes to have a timetable on delivery dates and costs by the end of March. In the event of further delays, alternatives to the Patriot systems would also be examined internally. “If the army cannot use the Patriot systems by 2029 at the latest, we have to think about possible alternatives in good time,” said SVP National Councilor Mauro Tuena to “NZZ am Sonntag”. The President of Pro Militia, Dominik Riner, mentioned the Israeli Arrow system or the European SAMP/T.
264 reported cyberattacks since last April
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the Federal Office for Cybersecurity (BACS) has received 264 reports since the introduction of the reporting requirement for cyber attacks on critical infrastructure last April. The public sector as well as the areas of IT, telecommunications, finance and insurance are particularly affected, said spokeswoman Gisela Kipfer to the newspaper. The Federal Office is not aware of any reportable incidents that have not been reported, which is why no sanctions have been necessary so far. Since October, failure to report can be punished with fines of up to 100,000 francs. The most common are overload attacks on websites and servers, attacks with malware and attacks on personal data. The reports would be analyzed to assess the threat situation and enable preventive measures.
Julius Baer boss calls for “criminal records” for sin bankers
The new Julius Baer boss Stefan Bollinger called for a register for fallible bankers in an interview with “NZZ am Sonntag”. «Registering financial market participants has clear advantages. “It prevents black sheep from simply crossing over to the other side of the street and carrying on as if nothing had happened,” he told the newspaper. Other leading financial centers such as the USA, Great Britain, Hong Kong and Singapore have already introduced such registers. “Switzerland already has an assurance system at management level; “It should consider deepening like in other countries,” said Bollinger. In contrast to UBS President Colm Kelleher, Bollinger also sees no identity crisis in Switzerland. “I am convinced that it is also an advantage for UBS to be a Swiss bank, especially in these times,” said Bollinger.
Parmelin is planning further meetings for victims, injured people and relatives of Crans-Montana
According to “SonntagsBlick”, the canton of Vaud and Federal President Guy Parmelin are planning further meetings for victims, injured people and relatives of the New Year’s Eve tragedy in Crans-Montana. These should take place in both small and larger circles, Parmelin’s spokesman Urs Widmer told the newspaper. The federal government is therefore working hard to better support the affected families. On Thursday a meeting took place between the Federal President’s Department, Justice Minister Beat Jans and the Federal Chancellery; The Federal Chancellery did not want to comment on any details. Meanwhile, Zurich SVP National Councilor Nina Fehrüssel is planning an initiative in the National Council to learn lessons from the tragedy. “The findings are essential for later liability assessments. “We need an independent investigation,” she told “SonntagsBlick”.
IT chaos and staff shortages – new details about non-controls in Crans-Montana
According to the “SonntagsZeitung”, the head of security in Crans-Montana had requested an increase in the personnel budget by five to six positions in 2024. According to him, the additional staff would have been necessary to cope with the administrative effort following the partial failure of the IT system. But the job increase was not approved. Mayor Nicolas Féraud left an inquiry from the “SonntagsZeitung” unanswered. The community’s security chief, who was questioned for several hours on Friday, blamed the IT problems for the long lack of controls at the bar “Le Constellation”, where 41 people died in a fire on January 1st. An internal list also shows a lack of fire protection tests at several schools in the community. Among others, the “Ecole de Corin”, the “Ecole Montana-Village” and the “Centre scolaire intercommunal” are mentioned. A youth hostel was also last checked in 2018.
Lausanne municipal council wants to overhaul the city’s police force in 5 years
According to “Le Matin Dimanche”, Lausanne councilor Pierre-Antoine Hildbrand is giving himself five years to implement reforms in the city police. The Lausanne police have been rocked by crises for several months. Some of the reform ideas were inspired by Canadian experiences, said Hildbrand. Among other things, they looked at what was being done in Montreal, where police officers sometimes worked in civil society without uniform, for example in associations, soup kitchens or clubs. This attitude changes a lot. Another measure being examined is to break down structures in order to put an end to internal isolation and power structures. The aim is more versatility and a change between work on the street, file work and interviews, which changes the police officers’ perspective. (sda/con)