Swiss Will Hand Over Documents To Italy In Asbestos Probe
Mar 28, 2002 | Dow Jones Switzerland will hand over documents to Italian authorities regarding the deaths of Italian workers who may have died of asbestos exposure while working for Swiss construction materials company Eternit, a unit of Holcim Ltd. (Z.HOL).Swiss justice ministry spokesman Folco Galli said Thursday that a judge in the Swiss canton Glaris approved a request for legal assistance by an Italian prosecutor in Turin .
The judge ruled that Eternit and the Swiss state-owned workplace insurance company SUVA must hand over all documents regarding Italian workers who have ever worked at Eternit's headquarters in Niederurnen.
Italian authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 12 Italian former employees of Eternit, and are considering legal steps against the company.
Eternit said last month that at least 45 former employees have died from a form of lung cancer called mesothelioma.
