Swiss authorities open investigation against Mitterrand son

The chief prosecutor in Geneva, Bernard Bertossa, said he was acting on the request of French authorities. He said so far eight bank accounts held by businesses and private persons in Geneva and Zurich had been frozen.

Mitterrand has been held in a French prison since December 21. Bail has been set at five million francs (700,000 dollars) but he said he could not afford to pay the sum. Mitterrand´s mother has since announced that she will personally deliver the sum Thursday to the Paris justice palace.

Mitterrand is suspected of acting as an intermediary for arms deals with African heads of state between 1993 and 1994, allegedly receiving 1.8 million dollars paid into a Swiss bank account.

(dpa)