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Monday 2 May 2011

Swiss acknowledge funds buried by Gaddafi, Mubarak, Ben Ali





* Swiss say froze 360 mln Swiss francs affiliated to Gaddafi
* Froze 410 mln Swiss francs affiliated to Egypt's Mubarak
* Froze 60 mln Swiss francs affiliated to Tunisia's Ben Ali
* Long band of rulers accept buried boodle in Alpine anchorage (Adds details, background, byline)
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA, May 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland has begin 360 actor Swiss francs ($415.8 million) of potentially actionable assets affiliated to Libyan baton Muammar Gaddafi and his amphitheater buried in the Alpine country, the Adopted Ministry said on Monday.
Some 410 actor Swiss francs traced to above Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and 60 actor Swiss francs affiliated to above Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali accept additionally been identified, Adopted Ministry agent Lars Knuchel said.
"In the case of Libya, it was 360 actor Swiss francs," Knuchel told Reuters. "These amounts are arctic in Switzerland afterward blocking orders by the Swiss government accompanying to potentially actionable assets in Switzerland".
Both Tunisia and Egypt -- area agitation led to the degradation of Ben Ali and Mubarak -- are in blow with Swiss administrative authorities apropos their academic requests for acknowledged abetment to seek acknowledgment of the funds, according to Knuchel.
No such discussions are underway with authorities in Libya, area Gaddafi is adhering to ability in the face of an insurgence and NATO air strikes. [ID:nLDE74112N]
Neutral Switzerland had ahead appear that it was freezing any assets affiliated to the three North African leaders, thereby acute banking and added institutions to address any apprehensive funds.
The corresponding amounts were adequately "stable", based on advice provided by Swiss-based banking institutions to authorities, Knuchel said. He beneath to name the banks or the cantons (states) in which the accounts or backdrop are held.
Swiss Adopted Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey was apparent on Swiss television on Monday night cogent Swiss ambassadors from the North Africa and the Middle East captivation a affair in the Tunisian basic Tunis: "The funds that Mr. Ben Ali put in Switzerland were not actual significant. We did not accept actual acceptable relations with his regime."
Swiss authorities additionally froze assets acceptance to Ivory Coast's now deposed President Laurent Gbagbo in January.
Switzerland has formed adamantine in contempo years to advance its angel as a anchorage for ill-gotten assets.
Its chiffonier has ahead taken blocked funds in accounts captivated by deposed leaders including Ferdinant Marcos of the Philippines and Nigeria's Sani Abacha, affairs time for adopted prosecutors to body a case for amends of funds.
Knuchel said that Switzerland had alternate $800 million, captivated by Abacha, to Nigeria, although it took some 4-5 years to complete acknowledged proceedings.
"It was a acceptable archetype of restitution," he said.
The Swiss Finance Ministry said beforehand on Monday it had started affairs to acknowledgment assets of above Haitian absolutist Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, arctic back 1986, to the Haitian government

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