Beat Stocker, former head of payments firm Aduno (now Viseca), cultivated a close relationship with former Raiffeisen CEO Pierin Vincenz over many years. On January 25, the two as well as four others are due to stand trial in Zurich over accusations they enriched themselves through a web of secret side deals.

Stocker hit out for the first time publicly on the accusations, telling «NZZ am Sonntag» (behind paywall, in German) that he viewed his transactions as those of an private entrepreneur. He had «always acted in the interest of my employer,» the 61-year-old said.

He conceded that he didn't discuss the transactions with his board at the time. Stocker, who with Vincenz was held in custody for more than three months in 2018, said he feared he would be perceived «simply as a sort of shadow of Vincenz».