En octobre 2003, seulement 131 millions de dollars avaient été versés par le Tribunal arbitral de Zürich, 10% du montant obtenu par le chantage, alors que le Congrès juif mondial réclamait 7 milliards. Pour qui et à quel titre?

Holocaust row

swissinfo October 9, 2003 4:41 PM Thursday 09.10.2003, CET 17:40

Swiss banks and banking regulators have rejected allegations that they are obstructing payouts to Holocaust victims and their heirs. The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) said it had respected the terms of the $1.25 billion (SFr1.6 billion) deal agreed in 1998 between Swiss banks and Jewish organisations in the United States.

The SBA and the Federal Banking Commission said a committee under New York banker, Paul Volcker, had carried out a comprehensive audit of all dormant Holocaust-era accounts held in Swiss banks.

A US lawyer overseeing the distribution of the settlement funds criticised the Swiss authorities for restricting access to information about the accounts.

Only $131 million has been paid out by the Claims Resolution Tribunal, according to lawyers.