The Public Institution for Social Security v Al Wazzan & Ors [2023] EWHC 1065 (Comm) (05 May 2023)

The Public Institution for Social Security v Al Wazzan & Ors [2023] EWHC 1065 (Comm) (05 May 2023)

The court held that the First and Second Defendants have control over the SFPO file and other relevant Swiss documents for disclosure purposes. The evidence does not establish a real risk of prosecution or other prejudice under Swiss law for complying with an English disclosure order. The Swiss legal provisions cited do not prohibit the defendants from disclosing the documents in English proceedings, and the restrictions imposed by Swiss courts on PIFSS's access do not bind the English court. The balance of fairness, the importance of the documents to the proceedings, and the lack of a real risk of prosecution or prejudice mean that the application for relief from disclosure must be...

Citation
[2023] EWHC 1065 (Comm)
Parties
Claimant: The Public Institution for Social Security; First Defendant: Fahad Maziad Rajaan Al Rajaan; First Defendant (estate): Muna Al-Rajaan Al Wazzan (as representative of the estate of Mr Fahad Maziad Rajaan Al Rajaan); Second Defendant: Muna Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Wazzan; Third Defendant: Banque Pictet & Cie SA; Fourth Defendant: Philippe Bertherat; Fifth Defendant: Kamran Amouzegar; Sixth Defendant: Phoenix International Consultants SARL; Seventh Defendant: Antoine Nasrallah; Eighth Defendant: Pictet & Cie (Europe) SA; Ninth Defendant: Pictet Bank and Trust Limited; Tenth Defendant: Bank Pictet & Cie (Asia) Limited; Eleventh Defendant: Mirabaud & Cie SA; Twelfth Defendant: Pierre Mirabaud; Thirteenth Defendant: Thierry Fauchier-Magnan; Fourteenth Defendant: Luc Argand; Fifteenth Defendant: Man Group Limited (formerly Man Group PLC); Sixteenth Defendant: Man Strategic Holdings Limited; Seventeenth Defendant: Man Investments Limited; Eighteenth Defendant: Man Investments AG; Nineteenth Defendant: Man Investments Middle East Limited; Twentieth Defendant: Antoine Massad; Twenty First Defendant: Mohammed El Ghazzi; Twenty Second Defendant: Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA; Twenty Third Defendant: UBP Asset Management (Bermuda) Limited; Twenty Fourth Defendant: Anne Rotman de Picciotto; Twenty Fifth Defendant: Daniel de Picciotto; Twenty Sixth Defendant: Francesco Mombelli; Twenty Seventh Defendant: ICS Investment Consulting Services SA; Twenty Eighth Defendant: Sintesi Limited; Twenty Ninth Defendant: Methis Management Limited; Thirtieth Defendant: EFG Bank AG; Thirty First Defendant: Gilles Guerin; Thirty Second Defendant: The Estate of Edgar de Picciotto; Thirty Third Defendant: Guy de Picciotto; Thirty Fourth Defendant: Marc de Picciotto; Thirty Fifth Defendant: Daniele de Picciotto; Thirty Sixth Defendant: VP Bank AG; Thirty Seventh Defendant: VP Bank (Schweiz) AG; Thirty Eighth Defendant: Renato Ghittini; Thirty Ninth Defendant: Ely Michel Ruimy; Fortieth Defendant: Aerium Finance Limited; Forty First Defendant: The Pensée Foundation
Jurisdiction
England and Wales
Judgment Date
05 May 2023
Procedural Posture
Commercial Court Civil Claim / Interlocutory Application for Relief From Disclosure Obligations
Outcome
Application refused (relief from disclosure obligations denied)
Legal Topics
Disclosure and Inspection of Documents, Conflict of Laws, Comity, Foreign Criminal Law Risk, Mutual Legal Assistance, Control Over Documents, Confidentiality and Secrecy, Hague Convention Evidence, Swiss Criminal Procedure
Civil Procedure International Law Banking Law Criminal Law Disclosure and Inspection of Documents Conflict of Laws Comity Foreign Criminal Law Risk +5 more

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Parties

The Public Institution for Social Security

Claimant

Fahad Maziad Rajaan Al Rajaan

First Defendant

Muna Al-Rajaan Al Wazzan (as representative of the estate of Mr Fahad Maziad Rajaan Al Rajaan)

First Defendant (estate)

Muna Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Wazzan

Second Defendant

Banque Pictet & Cie SA

Third Defendant

Philippe Bertherat

Fourth Defendant

Kamran Amouzegar

Fifth Defendant

Phoenix International Consultants SARL

Sixth Defendant

Antoine Nasrallah

Seventh Defendant

Pictet & Cie (Europe) SA

Eighth Defendant

Pictet Bank and Trust Limited

Ninth Defendant

Bank Pictet & Cie (Asia) Limited

Tenth Defendant

Mirabaud & Cie SA

Eleventh Defendant

Pierre Mirabaud

Twelfth Defendant

Thierry Fauchier-Magnan

Thirteenth Defendant

Luc Argand

Fourteenth Defendant

Man Group Limited (formerly Man Group PLC)

Fifteenth Defendant

Man Strategic Holdings Limited

Sixteenth Defendant

Man Investments Limited

Seventeenth Defendant

Man Investments AG

Eighteenth Defendant

Man Investments Middle East Limited

Nineteenth Defendant

Antoine Massad

Twentieth Defendant

Mohammed El Ghazzi

Twenty First Defendant

Union Bancaire Privée, UBP SA

Twenty Second Defendant

UBP Asset Management (Bermuda) Limited

Twenty Third Defendant

Anne Rotman de Picciotto

Twenty Fourth Defendant

Daniel de Picciotto

Twenty Fifth Defendant

Francesco Mombelli

Twenty Sixth Defendant

ICS Investment Consulting Services SA

Twenty Seventh Defendant

Sintesi Limited

Twenty Eighth Defendant

Methis Management Limited

Twenty Ninth Defendant

EFG Bank AG

Thirtieth Defendant

Gilles Guerin

Thirty First Defendant

The Estate of Edgar de Picciotto

Thirty Second Defendant

Guy de Picciotto

Thirty Third Defendant

Marc de Picciotto

Thirty Fourth Defendant

Daniele de Picciotto

Thirty Fifth Defendant

VP Bank AG

Thirty Sixth Defendant

VP Bank (Schweiz) AG

Thirty Seventh Defendant

Renato Ghittini

Thirty Eighth Defendant

Ely Michel Ruimy

Thirty Ninth Defendant

Aerium Finance Limited

Fortieth Defendant

The Pensée Foundation

Forty First Defendant

Procedural Posture

Commercial Court Civil Claim / Interlocutory Application for Relief From Disclosure Obligations

Legal Issues

  1. 1 Whether the First and Second Defendants should be relieved from disclosure and inspection of documents located in or originating from Switzerland, including the SFPO file, on grounds of risk of prosecution or other prejudice under Swiss law, comity, or proportionality.

Ratio Decidendi

The court held that the First and Second Defendants have control over the SFPO file and other relevant Swiss documents for disclosure purposes. The evidence does not establish a real risk of prosecution or other prejudice under Swiss law for complying with an English disclosure order. The Swiss legal provisions cited do not prohibit the defendants from disclosing the documents in English proceedings, and the restrictions imposed by Swiss courts on PIFSS's access do not bind the English court. The balance of fairness, the importance of the documents to the proceedings, and the lack of a real risk of prosecution or prejudice mean that the application for relief from disclosure must be...

Court Disposition

Application refused (relief from disclosure obligations denied)

Orders

  • First and Second Defendants must provide disclosure and inspection of the SFPO file and other relevant Swiss documents under their control, subject to further argument on measures to prevent onward transmission to the State of Kuwait.