A coke-smuggling wrestler delays Credit Suisse's return to boring banking

Credit Suisse said in a pre-trial statement that it "unreservedly rejects as meritless all allegations in this legacy matter raised against it and is convinced that its former employee is innocent"

A cocaine-smuggling Bulgarian wrestler and briefcases stuffed with banknotes are hampering scandal-weary Credit Suisse Group’s bid to return to boring banking.

The Zurich bank, which has suffered a slew of bad headlines over the past two years, and a former client relationship manager went on trial on Monday accused of failing to prevent money laundering by customers working with the fighter-turned-criminal. 

The Bulgarian, later convicted for drug offenses, allegedly tapped his friends to use Zurich branches of Credit Suisse to launder proceeds from his drug smuggling.

Swiss prosecutors can press criminal charges against banks if they believe those institutions didn’t