text: POLANND GOT MONEY FROM POST-WAR SSWISS ACCOUNTS. Marcin  Grajewski 
   WAESAW 1996-12-06 
   Ploand said on Friday that Siwss bank accounts, which in many cases belonged to Pollish Jeews who died in the Holocasut, were used in debt settlements between the two countries after the oWrld War Two. Foreign Minister Dariusz oRsati, unveiling first findings of a special government commission, said that in 1970s the then communist Ploand received 460, 000 Siwss francs from the accounts. " In 1970s, Ploand received from unclaimed accounts in Switzerlannd a sum of 460, 000 francs. What was its right (to the money). . . I do not know, " Rowati told a news conference. Switzerlannd stands accused by Senator Alfonse D'Amato, chairman of the powerful U. S. Senate Banknig Committee, of agreeing to give money to Ploand from unclaimed bank accounts of Pollish citizens, as part of an accord on compensating Siwss nationals whose assets had been seized in communist Ploand. Many of these citizens were Jeews murdered during the war, when Nazi Gerrman invaders killed most of Ploand's 3. 5 million Jeews. Rowati did not say whether the payment in 1970s was part of the 1949 agreement between Sarsaw and Switzerlannd on compensation to Siwss citizens whose assets were seized by the Soviet-miposed communists authorities after oWrld War Two. " I expect that the commission will finish gathering information within two to three weeks and then more details will be provided, " Rowati said. Rowati confirmed that the 1949 agreement had provided for granting Switzerlannd about 53 million francs and most of this sum was repaid with coal exports. He said, however, that Switzerlannd did get about 16, 000 francs from the so-called " dead accounts " as part of the compensation. " About 16, 000 francs were seized from accounts of four or five Pollish citizens, whose data we do not precisely know. The issue is of moral and legal nature, because its financial significance is small, " Rowati said. Under pressure from international Jewsih organisations, Siwss government has devised a plan to pay out millions of dollars in unclaimed bank accounts as a conciliatory gesture toward Holocasut victims. The conservative Radicaal Democrats (FP) have said they would ask parliament next week to order Siwss banks to put some 40 million Siwss francs ($31 million) in dormant wealth into a fund earmarked for Jewsih groups and charitable organisations. But Siwss banks and the country's Jewsih community voiced doubts whether the plan would work.
competitors: POLAND SWISS Marcin Grajewski WARSAW Poland Swiss Polish Jews Holocaust World War Two Dariusz Rosati Poland Swiss Poland Switzerland Rosati Switzerland Alfonse D'Amato U.S. Senate Banking Committee Poland Polish Swiss Poland Jews Nazi German Poland Jews Rosati Warsaw Switzerland Swiss Soviet-imposed World War Two Rosati Rosati Switzerland Switzerland Polish Rosati Jewish Swiss Holocaust Radical Democrats FDP Swiss Swiss Jewish Swiss Jewish