Bill approved to seize 'Baby Doc's Swiss' accounts

Switzerland (CMC):

Swiss lawmakers have approved a bill that will make it easier to return nearly seven million US dollars seized from the Swiss accounts of former dictator Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier.

The House of Representatives Monday, voted by 114 to 49, in favour of a law that aims to stop such assets falling into criminal hands. The Senate previously backed the law in June.

The new legislation was opposed by the right wing Swiss People's Party, which said it conflicted with several legal principles.

Under the law, the Swiss cabinet can block contentious assets and will have up to ten years to launch action to confiscate the assets once they have been blocked.

The confiscation of assets must be declared by the Federal Administrative Court. Any decision to block funds can also be appealed through the court.

Once returned, the funds must be used to improve quality of life for the wider population, strengthen the judicial system and fight against crime.

Haiti is expected to be the first state to benefit under the new law. Swiss bank accounts linked to former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' Duvalier are currently frozen.