Carlos photos: Public prosecutor's office may investigate

The high court has approved the request for authorization, Corinne Bouvard, spokeswoman for the chief public prosecutor's office, confirmed on Monday, according to a report in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. This means that the public prosecutor's office can initiate investigations against the PR consultant for breach of official secrecy. The pictures were taken at the Massnahmenzentrum Uitikon (MZU) and published last February in the Sonntagsblick. They show cells and corridors that were allegedly vandalized by the juvenile offender known by the pseudonym "Carlos". The recordings had been taken without the knowledge of the MZU and should not have been released. The public prosecutor's office had opened criminal proceedings against unknown persons in March (Werbewoche.ch reported). In the meantime, the PR consultant who had been hired by the Chief Juvenile Prosecutor's Office immediately after the outbreak of the "Carlos" affair as a crisis consultant with a temporary mandate is in the sights of the judiciary. The latter admitted to having been in possession of the pictures, but denied having passed them on.

In order for the public prosecutor's office to investigate for breach of official secrecy, the high court had to clarify the question of whether the crisis consultant exercised his mandate in an official capacity. According to Bouvard, this "official capacity" was confirmed when the senior public prosecutor's office granted the request for authorization. Still during the placement in Uitikon, a second special setting had been established for "Carlos". The 19-year-old was released from this in the meantime. Due to a complaint about the vandalized cell in the MZU, criminal proceedings are underway against him for damage to property. (SDA)

Image: Sonntagsblick, February 16, 2014