FDFA statement concerning the article published on 25 July 2019 by the Swiss weekly Weltwoche about FDFA State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl
Bern, 25.07.2019 - The FDFA wishes to emphasise that the decision regarding services supplied by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Saudi Arabia was the result of a legal procedure and was therefore not a political decision. The FDFA rejects the assertions made by Weltwoche about State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl in this context.
The 30/31 issue of Weltwoche carried an article entitled 'Doppelspiel der Staatssekretärin' (The State Secretary's double dealing) quoting an anonymous letter and claiminf that in order to further her own career, State Secretary Pascale Baeriswyl leaned on the decision regarding the services supplied by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Weltwoche article, the letter is anonymous and the newspaper underlines that its authenticity has not been verified. Since the content of the letter is nevertheless quoted in the article, the FDFA wishes to clarify the following:
- The decision regarding services supplied by Pilatus Aircraft Ltd in Saudi Arabia was taken by the FDFA division responsible for the implementation of the Federal Act on Private Security Services Provided Abroad (PSSA, SR 935.41). The division responsible reviews such matters in accordance with established legal standards, as is also indicated in the Dispatch on the Federal Act on Private Security Services Provided Abroad (https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/federal-gazette/2013/1745.pdf).
- The head of the FDFA was briefed on the matter before the decision was taken.
- This was a legal – not a political – decision taken following an administrative procedure, and may therefore be appealed in a court of law.
Address for enquiries
FDFA Communication
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55
E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
Publisher
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html
