RNC Press Conference in Bern

February the 9^th, 1999

On Tuesday, February 9, 1999, the RNC gave a press conference in Bern, Switzerland about irregularities in the distribution of funds from the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust Shoa.

The RNC presented 4 Roma Holocaust survivors from Poland who were acting on behalf of 41 others who are claiming that they were spoiled by the Roma Organisation in Auschwitz and its president Mr. Kwiatkowski. The victims are alleging that they received from Mr. Kwiatkowski the sum of 1'500 Zlotys (around 600.- SFr.) instead of the total allocated help of 1'500.- SFr. They only new they were cheated upon receiving a letter in Romanes from the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust Shoa stating they had received the full sum.

According to the Swiss Fund spokeman, Mr. L. Wolffers, the Roma Organisation in Auschwitz actually received funds for 245 victims. Of these 245, about 100 were paid in front of a representative of Atag, Ernst & Young, the firm in charge of reviewing the handling of funds for the Swiss Fund partner organisations.

The RNC stated in its press conference that the victims were under severe threats from the Roma Organisation in Auschwitz and that two members of the RNC coordination office in Poland were severely beaten up by thugs in the presence of Mr. Kwiatkowski. For that reason the RNC, the RNC coordination office has been moved to the Czech Republic.

Mr. Kwiatkowski had been introduced to the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust Shoa in early 1998, a fact confirmed by the press representative of the Polish Embassy in Bern who attended the press conference.

Mr. Kawczynski stated that the structure of the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust-Shoa, and especially its use of "partner" organisation, i.e. organisation which submit lists of victims and then distribute the humanitarian help was a "free lunch for the Holocaust Industry". He subsequently asked the Swiss Fund to distribute the money directly to the victims. The RNC further added that the Fund was guilty of dereliction o duty in not properly checking and insuring the distribution of its help to victims of the Holocaust. The RNC spokeman further alleged that the Swiss Fund had been informed as early as August 1998 and had not undertaken the appropriate steps to correct the matter nor to contact and discuss the matter directly with the victims.

During the conference, the RNC demanded the resignation of Mr. Rajko Djuric, the Roma representative in the Swiss Fund's advisory board on the grounds that he did not properly inform Roma of the Fund's work; that he did not help the Polish Roma victims who were cheated and that he his not a representative of the entire Roma community. The RNC even added that they had information that Mr. Djuric presented lists for 10'000 Roma victims of the Holocaust, list whose whereabouts are currently not known (according to the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust Shoa). The RNC stated it is currently checking the facts.

The RNC asked the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust to clean up its act, distribute the money directly to the victims, be transparent, that is state which organisation received funds and to actually pay the spoiled Roma from Poland.

The RNC further indicated they had set up a hotline and commission to evaluate the further rumours of other irregularities in the distribution of humanitarian help from the Swiss Fund for Needy Victims of the Holocaust.

The RNC representatives as well as the victims themselves met the speaker of the Swiss Fund after the press conference. Meanwhile, the Swiss Fund has announced a press conference on Tuesday, February 16, 1999 in Zurich, Switzerland.