John O’Donnell, Stephanie Nebehay

BELLINZONA, Switzerland (Reuters) – Credit Suisse (SIX:). A Swiss banker was accused of money laundering and learned that murders had been committed in Bulgaria. However, he continued to handle cash.

Credit Suisse is facing the charges that it allowed a suspected Bulgarian drug trafficking gang, including some money, to launder millions in Switzerland. One of their former employees was also charged.

The accused banker and bank deny any wrongdoing. Procedures began last Monday and will be continuing through this week.

Credit Suisse’s ex-employe and Credit Suisse were charged with having relationships with Evelin Banev, a former Bulgarian wrestler. They also had multiple other associates. Two of them are also being indicted in this case.

A female banker is charged with helping to conceal criminal origins by executing more than 146million Swiss francs worth of transactions. She appeared at the Federal Criminal Court Bellinzona, southern Switzerland, along with her managers. These events took place between 2004-2008.

Credit Suisse refutes the illegal origin of this money. A source close to its thinking told Reuters that Credit Suisse believed Banev and others operated legal businesses in the construction, leasing, and hotel industries.

Banev, though not being charged in Switzerland is convicted in Italy for drug trafficking in 2017, and in Bulgaria of money laundering in 2018. As countries such as Bulgaria and Romania wanted his arrest, Banev was taken into custody in Ukraine in September.

According to his lawyer, Sofia, Banev has denied that he was involved in any laundering of money obtained from drug trafficking via Credit Suisse.

An ex-Cred Suisse banker, whose identity is not available under Swiss privacy regulations, said she shared the details with her managers, which included two murders. However, they decided to keep the business.

Credit Suisse’s banker, David Banev, dismissed media reports that Banev had linked Banev’s murder to drug trafficking. He sent an email in June 2005. It was presented before the court.

In an email, the banker stated “After the murder we have decided that we will continue our business relationships.” The article claiming that the murder was linked to Spanish cocaine has not been verified.

Two years after the death, her mother, who was the victim, was murdered just before her statement was to be made in the investigation into Banev. The female banker told the court that she had heard this from her manager and raised the issue with them.

Banev was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with being part of an organized crime organization that sought to laundering money.

“When I talked with my hierarchy about the incident, the first question was: Was that person who killed the client a bank customer? The banker said that she wasn’t.

“Do you know her?” “I don’t know her,” she replied, recalling their conversation. “I said: ‘No, never met her’. Then, the response was “Well then, what’s your problem?”

A court was informed that the banker had received 122,000 Swiss franc bonuses in 2006, and 180,000 in 2007, respectively.

The banker’s managements took the witness stand this week to testify. They said that they couldn’t recall much of the events and had referred the matter to their legal and compliance departments in accordance with the internal guidelines regarding the investigation into the funds.

One of the former banker managers said to the court that “the whole process is with compliance and legal.” The relationship manager is not allowed to tell colleagues. However, if legal or compliance consider it necessary to notify different hierarchies, they will do so.