[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 155 (Friday, November 7, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12038-S12039]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PUBLICATION OF THE SWISS BANKS' DORMANT ACCOUNT LIST

 Mr. D'AMATO. Mr. President, I rise today briefly to discuss 
the publication of the latest list of dormant accounts in Swiss banks.
  On October 29, 1997, the Swiss Bankers Association published its 
second list of dormant accounts. The list contains some 3,700 names of 
account holders that have not been heard from since May 9, 1945, the 
conclusion of the Second World War. This is the second time the Swiss 
Bankers Association has published such a list, the first time being on 
July 23, 1997. On that occasion, a great number of names appeared on 
that list that had proven to be either Nazis or those that were unable 
to obtain their accounts despite repeated attempts to do so.

[[Page S12039]]

  The latest list, contains the names of Johann Rohani and Anna 
Rohanny, of Amsterdam. Yesterday afternoon, I heard from the Rohany's 
daughter, Susan Unger, who informed my staff that these people were her 
parents. She went on to say that her mother had tried and been turned 
down in 1968 trying to claim the funds which were hers. Moreover, as 
late as October 1, of this year, she tried to claim the account and was 
turned down. Yet, when one looks at the latest list, it is inescapable 
that these are the same names. Apparently, the accounting firm looking 
for the accounts failed to check her parents' names on the then-pending 
lists. This is terribly unfortunate. Mrs. Unger has tried and tried to 
obtain funds that were legitimately hers and yet, she and her mother 
have been denied.
  What is even more bothersome is the fact that while the accounting 
firm turned her down 1 month ago, and that her parents' names appear on 
the new list, how many others I wonder, are in the same situation. How 
many have been turned down, with looking for names appearing on the 
first list, when they might well have appeared on this new list? We 
would have a better idea if the second list had been published in full 
like the first list. This one was not, it was only available on the 
Internet, through a search mechanism, not a full printout of the names, 
making it immensely more difficult, if not impossible to find names, if 
you do not see all of them.
  Mr. President, the Swiss banks have a long way to go before they can 
regain the respectability they once had. Continued indifference to 
cases such as this are very unfortunate. I wish for the sake of the 
claimants they would come to their senses and do what is right. One can 
only hope.

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