Oliver Hirt

ZURICH (Reuters). – An initial investigation by Credit Suisse (SIX: ) Two people familiar with the matter informed Reuters that Antonio Horta Osorio was the chairman of this organization. This happened in July, when he visited Britain as COVID-19 required him to be quarantine.

The second occasion that the coronavirus curbs were broken by the Portuguese banker has to do with the fact that he joined the Swiss bank to fix its culture in the wake of a number of scandals.

Before Christmas, the findings of Credit Suisse’s investigation were presented to the board’s audit committee. According to sources, it will then investigate the matter and decide if any additional action is necessary.

Spokespeople from Credit Suisse and Horta Osorio refused to answer questions about the investigation or its results.

Horta Osorio acknowledged that he had violated Switzerland’s COVID-19 rules on Nov. 28, when he visited the country. According to Swiss law, Horta-Osorio should be kept in quarantine for 10 days upon his arrival. However, he was allowed to leave the country on Dec. 1.

The bank board ordered an internal investigation after hearing about the Swiss breach.

Sources said that the legal team of the bank discovered that Horta Osorio also broke British rules by making the trip to Wimbledon on July 10-11.

The British “amberlist” meant that visitors to the UK from Europe had to wait for 10 days before they could enter the country.

A spokesperson from the UK government stated that no comment would be made on any specific case.

According to the spokesperson, “Passengers must ensure they follow all travel rules. They should also provide accurate information on their Passenger Locator forms. Infractions could result in fines or imprisonment.”

Prosecutors in St Gallen have been reviewing Horta Osorio’s Swiss breach. After he reported it, they could issue a penalty of up to 5000 Swiss Francs (5450).

($1 = 0.9172 Swiss francs)