Credit Suisse admits spying on a second staff member

CREDIT SUISSE has been forced to admit that it spied on a second member of staff – just months after boss Tidjane Thiam claimed a previous scandal was an isolated case.

Switzerland’s biggest bank said its former human resources chief Peter Goerke was followed by private eyes for several days in February, in the second such episode to rock the bank this year.

It comes just months after Credit Suisse was found to have set a tail on former wealth management boss Iqbal Khan after he quit for arch-rival UBS.

The revelation that Mr Goerke too was followed shows that Mr Khan’s case was not a one-off and poses a fresh headache for Mr Thiam, who had sought to draw a line under the turmoil.

Operating chief Pierre-olivier Bouee was blamed for the botched spy operation in a report by law firm Homburger, which was commissioned by the bank.

Mr Bouee was Mr Thiam’s righthand

‘It is of grave concern that the responsible individuals failed to answer truthfully about this observation’

man and has already resigned after also being held responsible for the decision to spy on Mr Kham.

Chairman Urs Rohner called the surveillance inexcusable, and said it was of “grave concern that the responsible individuals failed to answer truthfully about this observation” during a previous investigation.

A spokesman refused to confirm whether Mr Bouee will now lose a package of bonus shares worth up to £5m after stepping down. However, the board has decided to terminate its employment agreement with him. This suggests his bonus will likely go.

The findings come days after Swiss market regulator Finma announced it had appointed an independent investigator to look into the crisis, an unusual move that dashed any hopes Credit Suisse may have had of rebuilding its brand by Christmas.

Another former executive, Colleen Graham, has also alleged that she was followed in 2017 after a bust-up with the bank over an accounting issue. The bank has called her claims “entirely baseless”.