Corruption scandal at TCS Vehicle expert allegedly falsified 1332 tests
A TCS vehicle expert from Biel is alleged to have falsified tests and illegally issued confirmations over a period of 13 years. The corruption case involves a network of 30 suspects.
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- A TCS expert in Biel is alleged to have illegally certified around 1332 vehicles over 13 years without actually testing them.
- This led to a corruption scandal involving 30 suspects from several cantons and countries.
- The scandal, uncovered by an anonymous tip-off, led to a large-scale raid and arrests.
- The case highlights weaknesses in the monitoring of vehicle inspections and raises questions about road safety.
A vehicle expert at the TCS Center in Biel is at the center of a large-scale corruption scandal. For more than 13 years, the man from Bern is said to have inspected around 1,332 vehicles only as a sham and issued illegal confirmations. The case, which was brought to light by anonymous tips, reveals a far-reaching network of fraud, bribery and forgery, writes Der Bund.
Between July 2010 and October 2023, the TCS expert made it possible for poorly maintained vehicles from garages and car dealers to nevertheless receive an official inspection certificate. He is said to have received money or "monetary benefits" in return. Buyers of these vehicles were the ones who suffered, as they relied on their roadworthiness.
Raid and arrests
The investigations revealed that the vehicle expert had worked with garages and dealers, particularly in the cantons of Solothurn and Aargau. Fictitious TCS memberships were also concluded in order to register the vehicles for tests at the TCS Center Biel.
In October 2023, the authorities carried out a large-scale raid in the cantons of Bern, Zurich, Solothurn and Aargau. Around a dozen people were arrested. A total of 30 suspects were targeted, including people from Switzerland, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Slovakia. They are being investigated for commercial fraud, bribery and forgery of documents.
Zurich uncovers, Solothurn takes over
The scandal was uncovered by an anonymous tip-off to the Zurich cantonal police in February 2021. The whistleblower gave the mobile number of a man who had issued test certificates without actually checking them. However, an earlier report from 2018 to the police in Solothurn went largely unnoticed.
The Federal Criminal Court ultimately had to decide on jurisdiction, as several cantons were involved. The canton of Solothurn was designated as the lead instance, as the center of the crimes is located there.
Irregularities overlooked
The testing practices of the TCS center in Biel had already been reviewed in 2021 during an audit by the Bern Road Traffic and Navigation Office. No irregularities were found at that time. Nevertheless, the accused TCS expert had to leave the company in 2023.
TCS media spokeswoman Vanessa Flack emphasized: "TCS does not tolerate any criminal behaviour and is cooperating fully with the authorities."
Consequences for the TCS and road safety
The revelations shed light on the possible gaps in the monitoring of vehicle inspections. Stephan Lanz, Head of the Bern Road Traffic and Navigation Office, explained that no vehicles registered in the canton of Bern have been affected to date. Nevertheless, the case shows how serious corruption can be in the area of road safety.
The Federal Criminal Court expressly praised the Zurich authorities for their thorough investigations and emphasized the importance of combating corruption: "If neither the bribe-giver nor the bribed are interested in pressing charges, it is all the more important to follow up on anonymous tips consistently."
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
