The Swiss bank's overseer apologized for violating Switzerland's COVID rules, saying he had done so unknowingly.
The Zurich-based bank's chairman, António Horta-Osório, broke Swiss quarantine last week when returning to London from Zurich, Credit Suisse said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. This follows a report in «Blick» (in German) that Horta-Osório ignored quarantine rules for British residents put in place recently when traveling by private jet.
«Credit Suisse regretfully acknowledges that there has been a breach of quarantine rules linked to the travel activities of its chairman,» the bank said.
Horta-Osório said he «unintentionally» violated the rules by leaving Switzerland, reportedly for Lisbon and then New York, before his quarantine was up. «I sincerely regret this mistake,» he said in the statement. «I apologize and will ensure that this does not happen again.»
Sincerity Questioned
The Swiss tabloid's reporting seems to undermine this: staff at Credit Suisse had sought, unsuccessfully, to circumvent Horta-Osório's quarantine requirements with government officials, the outlet reported.
A Portuguese native with British citizenship, Horta-Osório has traveled frequently between London, where he lives, and Switzerland, where he owns a home in Wollerau, a tax-friendly town in the canton of Schwyz.
