Swiss prosecutors probe Trump's luxury gifts for potential bribery violations

Swiss prosecutors have been formally asked to examine whether gifts reportedly presented to former US President Donald Trump by Swiss business leaders, including a Rolex watch and a gold bar, may have violated Switzerland's stringent anti-bribery laws. This inquiry comes after reports of these luxury items being given during a high-level meeting.

The gifts reportedly surfaced just ten days after Switzerland secured a crucial framework agreement with the United States, designed to significantly reduce a 39% tariff on Swiss goods down to 15%. This landmark deal followed a delegation of Swiss business executives visiting Trump in the Oval Office, an event detailed by Swiss newspaper Blick, US news site Axios, and other prominent media outlets.

Raphael Mahaim and Greta Gysin, both members of the Green Party in the Swiss parliament, authored a letter to the public prosecutor, urging a judicial assessment of the gifts' legality. In their communication, they underscored the principle that "The end does not justify all means, especially when respect for important provisions of our legal order is at stake," explicitly requesting a determination on whether the presents contravened the Swiss Criminal Code. The public prosecutor did not provide an immediate response to comment requests.

Attendees at the pivotal meeting with Trump included executives from several prominent Swiss companies, namely MSC, Rolex, Partners Group, Mercuria, Richemont, and MKS, according to a statement reviewed by Reuters. While Rolex declined to comment on the matter and the White House did not offer an immediate response, Alfred Gantner, a co-founder of Partners Group who was present, remarked to Reuters that the public–private collaboration had been instrumental in resolving the long-standing Swiss-US tariff dispute. Other implicated companies also did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Under Swiss jurisprudence, any individual is empowered to report an alleged offense to a criminal justice authority, which then holds the discretion to initiate criminal proceedings. Specifically relevant to this case, Swiss law stipulates that offering a foreign public official an "undue advantage" with the intention of influencing a decision can lead to severe penalties, including up to five years in prison or a substantial fine. It is notable that while the lawmakers' letter meticulously listed the gifts, it refrained from identifying the specific companies or individuals who presented them to the former US President.