A top executive at Swiss bank Credit Suisse has resigned over a spying scandal that has taken in a suicide, a public confrontation in a Zurich street and an open rift between two of the country’s most prominent bankers.
Credit Suisse said on Tuesday that chief operating officer (COO) Pierre-Olivier Bouée has stepped down after admitting that he alone initiated surveillance of Iqbal Khan after the former head of wealth management at the bank left and joined rival UBS.
An internal investigation found that Mr Bouée arranged the snooping by private detectives from 4 September to see if Mr Khan was trying to poach employees or clients from Credit Suisse.
“The COO said that he alone, in order to protect the interests of the bank, decided to initiate the observation of Iqbal Khan,” the bank said in a statement on its website.
“The board of directors considers that the mandate for the observation of Iqbal Khan was wrong and disproportionate and has resulted in severe reputational damage to the bank.”
1/50 30 September 2019
A student protester throws a burning stick at riot police officers during a clash in Jakarta, Indonesia
AP
2/50 29 September 2019
An anti-government protester wearing a mask depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is pushed away by riot police during a demonstration at Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong, China
Reuters
3/50 28 September 2019
A Japan fan smiles before the Japan v Ireland Rugby World Cup match in Shizuoka, Japan
Reuters
4/50 27 September 2019
The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, on day five of the royal tour of Africa
PA
5/50 26 September 2019
A policeman stands on a blocked road in Le Petit-Quevilly as smoke billows from a Lubrizol factory classified SEVESO high-threshold site. Residents of twelve towns including Rouen have been asked to stay at home after a fire broke out according to the prefect of Normandy
AFP/Getty
6/50 25 September 2019
Participants dressed in traditional attire pose for pictures during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, in preparations for the upcoming Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga, in Ahmedabad, India
Reuters
7/50 24 September 2019
A protester fires at riot police during university students’ protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta
Reuters
8/50 23 September 2019
Russia’s Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
AP
9/50 22 September 2019
An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong
Reuters
10/50 21 September 2019
New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals
AFP/Getty
11/50 20 September 2019
Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York
Getty
12/50 19 September 2019
A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament
AFP/Getty
13/50 18 September 2019
Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany
EPA
14/50 17 September 2019
Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark
EPA
15/50 16 September 2019
A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
AP
16/50 15 September 2019
People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus
Reuters
17/50 14 September 2019
Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis
AFP/Getty
18/50 13 September 2019
Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain
Reuters
19/50 12 September 2019
Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe’s body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe
Reuters
20/50 11 September 2019
A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks
AP
21/50 10 September 2019
Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq
Reuters
22/50 9 September 2019
A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland
EPA
23/50 8 September 2019
Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north
Getty
24/50 7 September 2019
An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow
AFP/Getty
25/50 6 September 2019
Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died
AP
26/50 5 September 2019
Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing
EPA
27/50 4 September 2019
A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria
Reuters
28/50 3 September 2019
A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city
AP
29/50 2 September 2019
A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip
EPA
30/50 1 September 2019
Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school
AP
31/50 31 August 2019
A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally ‘Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners’ in Hong Kong, China
EPA
32/50 30 August 2019
A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco
AFP/Getty
33/50
A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners’ needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits
EPA
34/50 28 August 2019
Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved
AP
35/50 27 August 2019
Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight
AFP/Getty
36/50 26 August 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France
The Canadian Press via AP
37/50 25 August 2019
A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil
EPA
38/50 24 August 2019
A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay
AFP/Getty
39/50 23 August 2019
Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there
AFP/Getty
40/50 22 August 2019
A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the ‘Janmashtami’ festival in Chennai
Getty
41/50 21 August 2019
A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican
Reuters
42/50 20 August 2019
A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal
Reuters
43/50 19 August 2019
Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region’s independence
AFP/Getty
44/50 18 August 2019
People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi’ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall
EPA
45/50 17 August 2019
A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule
AP
46/50 16 August 2019
Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th “Jeux du Castrum”, a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland
AFP/Getty
47/50 15 August 2019
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan
Reuters
48/50 14 August 2019
A woman walks with a Kashmir’s flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan’s 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan
Reuters
49/50 13 August 2019
The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: “The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual.”
Martin Reitze/SWNS
50/50 12 August 2019
People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade
EPA
1/50 30 September 2019
A student protester throws a burning stick at riot police officers during a clash in Jakarta, Indonesia
AP
2/50 29 September 2019
An anti-government protester wearing a mask depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is pushed away by riot police during a demonstration at Causeway Bay district in Hong Kong, China
Reuters
3/50 28 September 2019
A Japan fan smiles before the Japan v Ireland Rugby World Cup match in Shizuoka, Japan
Reuters
4/50 27 September 2019
The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, on day five of the royal tour of Africa
PA
5/50 26 September 2019
A policeman stands on a blocked road in Le Petit-Quevilly as smoke billows from a Lubrizol factory classified SEVESO high-threshold site. Residents of twelve towns including Rouen have been asked to stay at home after a fire broke out according to the prefect of Normandy
AFP/Getty
6/50 25 September 2019
Participants dressed in traditional attire pose for pictures during rehearsals for Garba, a folk dance, in preparations for the upcoming Navratri, a festival during which devotees worship the Hindu goddess Durga, in Ahmedabad, India
Reuters
7/50 24 September 2019
A protester fires at riot police during university students’ protest outside the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta
Reuters
8/50 23 September 2019
Russia’s Soyuz-FG booster rocket with the Soyuz MS-15 space ship that will carry new crew to the International Space Station (ISS) is transported from its hangar to the launch pad at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The new Soyuz mission is scheduled on 25 September with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka, US astronaut Jessica Meir and United Arab Emirates astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
AP
9/50 22 September 2019
An anti-government protester sets a fire during a rally outside the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong
Reuters
10/50 21 September 2019
New Zealand players perform the haka before their opening Rugby World Cup match against South Africa in Japan. The All Blacks secured a 23-13 victory over their rivals
AFP/Getty
11/50 20 September 2019
Thousands of school students and protesters gather in The Domain ahead of a climate strike rally in Sydney. Millions of people around the world are taking part in protests demanding action on climate issues. The Global Strike For Climate is being held only days ahead of the scheduled United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York
Getty
12/50 19 September 2019
A pedestrian walks by an advertising installation for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Oita, on the eve of the start of the tournament
AFP/Getty
13/50 18 September 2019
Two flamingos at Dresden Zoo in Germany
EPA
14/50 17 September 2019
Strong wind and waves roll in at Nordre Strandvej in Denmark
EPA
15/50 16 September 2019
A moto-taxi driver takes two passengers past a burning barricade set up by people protesting fuel shortages in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
AP
16/50 15 September 2019
People paddle on a stand-up board during sunrise in a beach in Larnaca, Cyprus
Reuters
17/50 14 September 2019
Mourners hold portraits of Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe as they attend a farewell ceremony at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Mugabe died in Singapore on September 6 at the age of 95. He left Zimbabwe deeply divided over his legacy with his country still struggling with high inflation and shortages of goods after decades of crisis
AFP/Getty
18/50 13 September 2019
Rescue workers on a boat rescue a person stranded inside a flooded tunnel after heavy floods in Pilar de la Horadada, Spain
Reuters
19/50 12 September 2019
Police officers try to control the crowd after members of the public were invited to view Robert Mugabe’s body as it lies in state at the Rufaro stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe
Reuters
20/50 11 September 2019
A US flag hangs from a steel girder, damaged in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at a memorial in Jersey City. It is the 18th anniversary of the attacks
AP
21/50 10 September 2019
Local actors dressed as ancient warriors re-enact a scene from the 7th century battle of Kerbala during a ceremony marking Ashura in Iraq
Reuters
22/50 9 September 2019
A firefighter assesses the fire spreading across land on Long Gully Road in the town of Drake, Australia. A number of homes have been destroyed by bushfires in New South Wales and Queensland
EPA
23/50 8 September 2019
Damaged homes after hurricane Dorian devastated Elbow Key Island in Hope Town, Bahamas. The hurricane hit the island chain as a category 5 storm and battered them for two days before moving north
Getty
24/50 7 September 2019
An artist performs on Tverskaya street during celebrations marking the 872nd anniversary of the city of Moscow
AFP/Getty
25/50 6 September 2019
Children play football next to a defaced portrait of Former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare on the day he died, aged 95. The former leader was forced to resign in 2017, after a 37-year rule, whose early promise was eroded by economic turmoil, disputed elections and human rights violations, has died
AP
26/50 5 September 2019
Authorities work at the scene of a train crash in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. According to media reports, more than 30 people were injured after a train hit a track at a crossing
EPA
27/50 4 September 2019
A police office removes burning tires from the road, as protesters set up fires to block traffic along Airport Road in Abuja, Nigeria
Reuters
28/50 3 September 2019
A riot police officer throws a teargas canister as looters make off with goods from a store in Germiston, east of Johannesburg, South Africa. Police had earlier fired rubber bullets as they struggled to stop looters who targeted businesses as unrest broke out in several spots in and around the city
AP
29/50 2 September 2019
A boat off the island of Santa Cruz in California burns in the early hours of Monday morning. More than 30 people were on board the boat, which is thought to have been on a three-day diving trip
EPA
30/50 1 September 2019
Flowers are laid in a hole in a wall as people gather in the gym of a school, the scene of the hostage crisis, in memory of victims on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragedy in Beslan, North Ossetia region, Russia. More than 330 people, including 186 children, died as a result of the terrorist attack at the school
AP
31/50 31 August 2019
A man sits in front of riot officers during the rally ‘Calling One Hundred Thousands Christians Praying for Hong Kong Sinners’ in Hong Kong, China
EPA
32/50 30 August 2019
A migrant forces his way into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Over 150 migrants made their way into Ceuta after storming a barbed-wire border fence with Morocco
AFP/Getty
33/50
A beagle jumps through hoops during a show at the Pet Expo Championship 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand. Although the four-day expo is primarily dog oriented it features a wide array of stalls catering to pet owners’ needs as well as showcasing a variety of animals including reptiles, birds, ferrets, and rabbits
EPA
34/50 28 August 2019
Baby elephants rub their trunks against a tree at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Countries that are part of an international agreement on trade in endangered species agreed on Tuesday to limit the sale of wild elephants, delighting conservationists but dismaying some of the African countries involved
AP
35/50 27 August 2019
Burning rubbles in the market of Bouake, central Ivory Coast, after a fire broke overnight
AFP/Getty
36/50 26 August 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron gestures as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, second from left, sits between British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel as they take part in a meeting at the G7 Summit in Biarritz, France
The Canadian Press via AP
37/50 25 August 2019
A Brazillian Air Force jet drops water to fight a fire in the Amazon rainforest in the state of Rondonia, Brazil
EPA
38/50 24 August 2019
A police officer prepares to strike a protester as clashes erupt during a pro-democracy march in Hong Kong’s Kowloon Bay
AFP/Getty
39/50 23 August 2019
Oxfam activists in costumes depicting leaders of the G7 nations protest in Biarritz, France on the day before the summit is due to be held there
AFP/Getty
40/50 22 August 2019
A vendor sits as she sells models of the Hindu deity Krishna on display at a roadside ahead of the ‘Janmashtami’ festival in Chennai
Getty
41/50 21 August 2019
A girl reacts next to Pope Francis as he leads the weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall at the Vatican
Reuters
42/50 20 August 2019
A masked dancer takes part in the Nil Barahi mask dance festival, an annual event during which dancers perform while posing as various deities that people worship to seek blessings, in Bode, Nepal
Reuters
43/50 19 August 2019
Protesters take to the street to face off with Indonesian police in Manokwari, Papua. The riots broke out, with a local parliament building being torched, as thousands protested allegations that police tear-gassed and arrested students who supported the restive region’s independence
AFP/Getty
44/50 18 August 2019
People survey the destruction after an overnight suicide bomb explosion that targeted a wedding reception in Kabul, Afghanistan. At least 63 people, mostly wedding guests from the Shi’ite Muslim community, were killed and more than 180 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a wedding hall
EPA
45/50 17 August 2019
A man retrieves his prize after climbing up a greased pole during a competition held as part of Independence Day celebrations at Ancol Beach in Jakarta. Indonesia is celebrating its 74th anniversary of independence from the Dutch colonial rule
AP
46/50 16 August 2019
Swiss pianist and composer Alain Roche plays piano suspended in the air at dawn during the 20th “Jeux du Castrum”, a multidisciplinary festival in Switzerland
AFP/Getty
47/50 15 August 2019
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako bow during a memorial service ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War Two, in Tokyo, Japan
Reuters
48/50 14 August 2019
A woman walks with a Kashmir’s flag to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir, during a ceremony to celebrate Pakistan’s 72nd Independence Day at the Mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, Pakistan
Reuters
49/50 13 August 2019
The extraordinary moment a volcano erupted, shooting luminous hot lava from the surface, as a lightning bolt striked the centre of the mountain. Photographer Martin Reitze, 55, captured rare images of volcanic ash escaping from the Ebeko volcano in Russia whilst the lightning froze the ash cloud in time. Martin, from Munich, was standing around a kilometre away from the northern crater of the volcano when it erupted. The volcano expert said: “The strong lightning which shows in the image is a very rare exception, as it was much stronger than usual.”
Martin Reitze/SWNS
50/50 12 August 2019
People swim in a public bath pool in Zalakaros, Hungary. Some regions of the country have been issued the highest grade of warning by the National Meteorological Service as the temperatures may reach 33-38 centigrade
EPA
The surveillance lasted until 17 September when Mr Khan spotted and confronted one of his tails in a street, Credit Suisse said.
Swiss media have reported that the banker got out of his car and started taking pictures of the private detective’s licence plate. The investigator then insisted that Mr Khan stop doing that and told him to hand over his phone. But Mr Khan started to shout out for police help and the detective left.
A criminal investigation has been opened into the incident, the bank said.
In an even darker twist, on Monday evening it emerged that a Credit Suisse contractor who hired the private investigators on behalf of the bank killed himself. The man took his own life on 24 September, according to Thomas Fingerhurth, a lawyer for private investigative firm Investigo.
Media have also reported that the spying was related to the personal differences between Mr Khan and Credit Suisse chief executive Tidjane Thiam, but the bank’s investigation, carried out by a law firm, did not find any evidence of that.
Mr Khan, who came to Switzerland from Pakistan at the age of 12, was a long-time close ally of Mr Thiam, a native of the Ivory Coast, before the two fell out this year. People familiar with the situation told Bloomberg the pair had an argument during a party at Mr Thiam’s house in January.
The Credit Suisse investigation did not find any indication that Mr Thiam had approved the surveillance of Mr Khan nor that he was aware of it before it was aborted. Neither was there any evidence that Mr Khan had attempted to poach the bank’s employees or clients in breach of his contractual obligations, Credit Suisse said.
Additional reporting by agencies
