Chinese investors stage protests over missing $1b in Switzerland

Chinese investors who sank about $1.2 billion into companies in Switzerland that did not have trading licenses have staged protests in Geneva to demand their money back.

中国投资者大约12亿美元的投资卷入到一家没有交易许可证的瑞士公司，他们在日内瓦日内瓦举行抗议，要求找回自己资金。

The Swiss financial watchdog and legal experts say they face tremendous difficulties in securing the return of their investments.

瑞士金融监管机构和法律专家表示，追回他们的投资面临极大的困难。

According to Bloomberg, about 29,000 investors became involved in the alleged scam, and the suspects are still at large.

据彭博社报道，约29000名投资者卷入这起涉嫌的诈骗案，犯罪嫌疑人仍然未被抓获。

Vinzenz Mathy, spokesman for the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority, said investors put their money into API Premiere Swiss Trust Ltd and Alpen Asset Management Trust Sarl, but neither company has ever had a trading license.

瑞士金融市场监督管理局发言人Vinzenz Mathy称，投资者把资金投入到瑞士API Premiere信托有限公司和Alpen资产管理信托公司，但两家公司均未获得交易许可证。

API is based in Zurich and Alpen in Geneva.

API位于苏黎世，而Alpen位于日内瓦。

Mathy told China Daily that under Swiss law, only licensed banks are allowed to offer foreign exchange trading services.

Mathy告诉中国日报记者，根据瑞士的法律，只有获取许可证的银行才允许提供外汇交易服务。

On May 21, the Swiss regulator ordered the liquidation of API.

5月21日，瑞士监管机构下令对API进行清算。

The Swiss Association of Trust Companies also told China Daily the two companies have never been on the organization’s list.

瑞士信托公司协会还向中国日报介绍，这两家公司均不是该组织的成员。

Bloomberg said API and associated companies promised the investors returns of as much as 10 percent a month.

彭博社报道称，API及关联的公司向投资者承诺，每月返还10%的盈利。

The report was based on interviews with six investors and documents they shared over the past three months.

报道采访了6名投资者，他们出具了过去3个月的文件。

The money disappeared from their accounts in January.

他们账户上的钱在1月份消失了。

Mathy said the Swiss watchdog issued a public warning about API and Alpen in January, adding that both companies were included in a warning list published on the regulator’s website.

Mathy称，瑞士监管机构在1月份对API和Alpen发出公开警告，并将这两家公司列入其网站上的警告列表。

The Geneva public prosecutor confirmed that API and an associated company are being investigated, according to Bloomberg.

彭博社称，日内瓦检察官证实，API及关联的公司正在接受调查。

It also established that both companies offered clients access to a foreign exchange trading platform and asked them to remit funds for trading activities to a Swiss bank account held by Alpen and also to bank accounts of associated companies domiciled outside Switzerland.

已确定两家公司为客户提供了外汇交易平台，并以交易活动为由让他们将资金汇到Alpen在瑞士银行的账户，以及一些关联公司在瑞士以外的银行账户。

As the two companies are over-indebted, they will be liquidated through bankruptcy proceedings, with the Swiss authority administering the bankruptcy assets.

由于这两家公司负债过高，他们将与瑞士破产财产管理当局进行破产清算程序。

Yang Haitao, a lawyer at the Dacheng Dentons law firm, said, "Given that capital is moving internationally, the efforts and procedures to seek legal support will be very difficult and complicated."

大成-德同律师事务所的杨海涛介绍：“由于资金在国际上流动，想要寻求法律支持的努力和程序都将异常艰难和复杂。”

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来源:英语新闻网站爱语吧作者:孙梦光