Prosecutor seeks 8.5 years in prison against Valais property manager in Sion
The prosecutor has sought a heavy sentence against a 55-year-old wealth manager tried for fraud. Two accomplices also face several years in custody.
Prosecutor seeks 8.5 years in prison against Valais property manager in Sion
Magistrate Catherine Seppey pleaded for a severe sentence against Sébastien B., a 55-year-old wealth manager from Valais. Before the Sion court of justice, she called for a prison sentence of eight and a half years without parole. She described the accused as a "financial predator" and "inveterate liar", according to daily newspaper Le Temps.
The two other defendants, a childhood friend turned business partner and a Dutch national running the start-up involved, face respectively six and five years of imprisonment. According to the prosecution, the trio created a company founded on illusion to embezzle funds.
The magistrates accuse the defendants of targeting vulnerable individuals, gaining their trust and misappropriating 41 million francs between 2009 and 2015. They are being prosecuted for professional fraud, qualified breach of trust and aggravated disloyal management. Within the courthouse, the defendants remained silent alongside their lawyers. A victim, despite having withdrawn his complaint, attended the hearing and expressed a sense of relief following the proceedings.
Source: Le Temps