TheBadPlaceyahoo news | Edmond de Rothschild Paris offices raided in Epstein-linked probe
Paris investigators raided the Paris offices of Swiss bank Edmond de Rothschild on Friday as part of a probe into alleged corruption linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Prosecutors say the investigation centers on Fabrice Aidan, a mid‑level French diplomat who was seconded to the United Nations from 2006‑2013 and later worked at the bank. More than 200 U.S. Justice Department documents released this year contain emails Aidan is alleged to have sent Epstein between 2010 and 2016 from both his personal and U.N. accounts, including transfers of confidential U.N. Security Council briefings. Aidan denies any wrongdoing, and his lawyer has not responded to requests for comment.
The French Foreign Ministry has completed an administrative inquiry, interviewing about 30 staff members and stating that all summoned officials have cooperated. It is now considering disciplinary action. The raid was conducted in the presence of Ariane de Rothschild, the bank’s chief, and the firm says it is fully cooperating with the financial prosecutor while launching an internal investigation after the suspicions emerged concerning Aidan’s tenure at the bank from 2014‑2016. The case is being handled by France’s central office against corruption and financial and tax offences, which is probing accusations of “passive corruption” of a foreign public official and complicity in that crime.
Swiss regulator FINMA said it reviews any reliable information concerning the integrity of business activities, while Swiss federal prosecutors have not yet commented on whether they are also investigating. Files released by the U.S. Justice Department in January also showed that Ariane de Rothschild maintained a years‑long personal correspondence with Epstein before his 2019 arrest; the bank’s spokesperson described Epstein as a business acquaintance from 2013‑2019 and said de Rothschild had no knowledge of Epstein’s conduct. The article was originally published by The Detroit News.
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