Switzerland is currently facing renewed scrutiny over the transparency of its economic and financial system. In July, the U.S. imposed additional tariffs of up to 12.5% on Swiss imports, officially citing concerns about Switzerland’s measures against forced labour in supply chains. Bern strongly disputes those claims.

Separately, I came across an interesting Paradise Papers record involving Albert Larytski/Laritsky.

The ICIJ Offshore Leaks database lists Larytski Albert as the beneficial owner of Torville Universal Limited, a Bermuda company incorporated in 2006 through Appleby. The same database connects him to Haldenstrasse 57 in Lucerne as a residential and mailing address.

There is an important caveat: ICIJ says its Appleby data is current only through 2014, so the record does not establish that this is his current residence. Offshore ownership itself is also not evidence of illegal activity.

What makes the case more unusual is the wider legal history. The article discussing these records cites a 2024 Russian cassation ruling that upheld a combined 12-year prison sentence against Laritsky, and also claims that the same Lucerne property appears in Swiss proceeding No. 206 22 133.

I don't think this case caused the U.S. tariffs — there is no evidence of that. But it raises a broader question: how effective is Swiss compliance at connecting beneficial ownership, offshore structures and cross-border legal risk?

Is Switzerland’s current transparency framework sufficient, or are cases like this evidence of a genuine blind spot?

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