Swiss start move to return Duvalier funds to Haiti
Mon, 2 May 2011 10:23 GMT
Haiti's former dictator Duvalier moves through the crowd of supporters, journalists and security after he was discharged from a private hospital in Port-au-Prince REUTERS/Swoan Parker
* Ex-dictator's assets blocked in Switzerland since 1986
* About 5.8 mln Swiss francs could be returned to Haiti
ZURICH, May 2 (Reuters) - Switzerland has started proceedings to return assets of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, frozen since 1986, to the Haitian government, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.
If the move is successful, Switzerland will return the forfeited assets amounting to more than 5.8 million Swiss francs ($6.70 million) to one of the world's poorest states, the ministry said in a statement.
The Swiss government instructed the ministry to start the legal process in the Federal Administrative Court in February after a new law, the so-called "Duvalier law", came into force.
The legislation was designed to open the way for the return of the funds, frozen in Swiss bank accounts during years of legal argument and efforts by Duvalier to reclaim them.
In January, Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti after 25 years of exile in France, saying he wanted to help his compatriots rebuild after the huge earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people a year before.
He is under investigation on charges of corruption and crimes against humanity for killings and torture during his 15-year rule.
Duvalier is alleged to have embezzled between $300 million and $800 million of assets from Haiti during his presidency. (Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz; Editing by Stephanie Nebehay and Andrew Dobbie)
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