Latest facts on the Swiss timber giant Danzer Group

As late as last year Interholco still traded with Gus Kouwenhoven, who is accused of playing a key role in arms trafficking in Liberia and has therefore been banned from travelling by the UN Security Council. In the meantime, the Swiss Federal Council has imposed stricter measures with regards to Liberia and imposed financial sanctions against Gus Kouwenhoven and other individuals.

On the basis of two complaints filed by Greenpeace Switzerland against Danzer Group's subsidiary Interholco and other persons involved, the Swiss Attorney General began a formal investigation into companies of the Danzer Group, as well as individuals. The complaints accused Danzer Group of being involved in: 1) bribery of foreign public officials, and; 2) suspected forgery.

On 21 December 2004, the Office of the Attorney General ordered the closure of the preliminary investigation into the alleged bribery of foreign public officials (1). All official documents, including the aforementioned decision, were handed over to the public prosecutor's office of the Canton (District) of Zug, Switzerland. The complaint of suspected forgery (2) still remains to be investigated by the competent authorities of the Canton (District) of Zug. The documents submitted by Greenpeace to the Office of the Attorney General support the suspicion that employees of a Danzer Group company in Switzerland were involved in the forgery of official government certificates.

Greenpeace has not yet been given the grounds upon which the Attorney General closed the preliminary investigation into the alleged bribery of foreign public officials (1). Greenpeace only filed the complaint and therefore does not enjoy the rights of a party in the legal proceedings. Danzer Group has so far refused to provide Greenpeace with a copy of the Attorney General's decision. Furthermore, the Danzer Group has not given a satisfactory explanation of the evidence put forward by Greenpeace in its reports. The complaints to the Attorney General by Greenpeace, in particular with regards to the activities as described in the travel report written by one of the directors of the Danzer Group, remains unexplained.

Greenpeace has obtained further documents indicating that Interholco (a subsidiary of the Danzer Group) traded Liberian timber from the Oriental Timber Company (OTC), although the Danzer Group, when asked directly, denied trading with companies involved in arms trafficking. Interholco also maintained close trading relationships with the Cameroon company, MMG which has been documented of illegal logging activities.

Greenpeace will continue to closely scrutinise the activities of the Danzer Group. As a leading timber company Danzer Grup should only be involved in the supply of legal and sustainable timber, as it claims to be in its reports.

Read the updated Danzer report from 2004