The public prosecutor's office in Verden, Germany, is investigating, among other things, bribery in connection with Ruag tank deals. The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) in Bern has received a request for legal assistance.
The Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) confirmed an enquiry from the Keystone-SDA news agency on Wednesday. The CH-Media newspapers had reported first. According to their research, the investigation is directed against an ex-Ruag employee.
According to the FOJ, a request from the Verden public prosecutor's office and a supplementary request were received regarding the sale of 25 Leopard 1 tanks to Germany. The request concerns allegations of unfaithful management of a business, corruption and bribery in commercial transactions.
Swiss defence Minister Viola Amherd had ordered that the purchase of 96 Leopard 1 battle tanks stored in Italy by Ruag be investigated externally, as well as the signing of a purchase contract for the tanks with the German arms company Rheinmetall.