At a media briefing in Singapore, Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann was reticent when asked consecutive questions on recent bank scandals surrounding Swiss Private Banks in the region.
The cerebral and unhurried disposition of Johan Schneider-Ammann made the press briefing a tantalising affair, but try as they might the local and Swiss media could not get him to engage in a dialogue on recent and developing stories involving well known Swiss institutions, including Banca della Svizzera Italiana, more commonly known as BSI.
Not The Finance Minister
Schneider-Ammann pointed out that he was not the Finance Minister and therefore was not able or willing to delve deeply into the matter. One of his aides however did interject to say that discussions would be carrying-on with the Singaporean authorities in coming days.
President Schneider-Ammann did say that Switzerland’s independent financial-markets regulator Finma and Singapore's MAS had been working together closely and that he had the utmost trust in their handling of the ongoing complicated issues.
Quizzed on Speculation
After Singapore the Swiss President heads to Seoul, South Korea where he is sure to be quizzed on speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other high-ranking North Korean officials might be using bank accounts in Switzerland to manage secret funds.
