Lukas Haessig, a journalist for the online financial publication Inside Paradeplatz, is under scrutiny as Zurich prosecutors have charged him with breaching banking confidentiality laws. His reporting catalyzed a prominent corporate criminal trial against Pierin Vincenz, the former CEO of Raiffeisen Bank Switzerland, and his associate Beat Stocker, who were convicted of fraud in April 2022. This ruling is currently subject to review by a higher court, with a decision anticipated in January 2027. In June 2025, police conducted searches at the Zurich office of Inside Paradeplatz and Haessig’s residence, gathering materials related to alleged violations of Swiss banking legislation. Although prosecutors initially dismissed the case in December 2025, Zurich’s High Court indicated in April that a judicial interpretation of the banking secrecy law was necessary following Stocker’s appeal. Article 47 of the Swiss Banking Act imposes criminal penalties for disclosing confidential information from bank insiders, with potential prison sentences of up to three years or fines. The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders Switzerland has expressed concern over these charges, arguing that the law should not impede journalistic activities, particularly when the reporting serves the public interest. They emphasized the adverse impact of the banking secrecy law on press freedom in Switzerland, citing existing legal inadequacies. Prosecutors have affirmed that Haessig is presumed innocent, and no court date has been scheduled as of yet.
