An in-depth investigation by SWI swissinfo.ch looks at why and how millions in allegedly illicit money from a global Russian tax fraud case were not investigated in Switzerland. 1. A chance encounter It’s 10am on a weekday in February 2021. Basel’s main train station, an international travel hub, is unusually empty. Covid-19 health restrictions have kept commuters and travellers indoors. But not everyone is at home. A silver-haired man in his seventies stands deep in thought. He is enjoying the silence and calm surrounding him: no noise in the ticket hall, no phone conversations, and not even the smoke of an e-cigarette disturbs his peace. His eyes are on the panoramic painting that Swiss artist Ernst Hodel painted on the wall of the entrance to the station some 100 years ago. It depicts the city of Lucerne by the lake in the morning light. "Mr. Gross? Are you Mr. Gross? You are totally right," an unfamiliar female voice calls out. Swiss politician Andreas Gross turns around to ...
