Skip to main content

Wealth & Money Quote by Benazir Bhutto

"I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal"

About this Quote

It lands like a denial, but it’s engineered as a counteraccusation. Bhutto isn’t just insisting she didn’t stash money in Switzerland; she’s yanking the spotlight off her own alleged corruption and aiming it at Swiss motives. The pivot from “I’ve never” to “Why would the Swiss do this to me?” reframes the story from personal wrongdoing to geopolitical persecution. That move matters because it asks the audience to judge not her finances but the integrity of the accuser.

The date tag, “since 1984,” is doing quiet work. It’s specific enough to sound documentary, yet it sidesteps the more dangerous question: what about before, or through proxies? It’s a politician’s precision, designed to read like transparency while leaving legal and reputational escape hatches.

Then comes the most combustible maneuver: invoking “the Holocaust gold scandal.” This is not casual whataboutism; it’s an attempt to borrow moral gravity. By linking Swiss banking to a widely condemned historical stain, Bhutto positions Switzerland as institutionally compromised, implying that a country with that past has both the capacity and the incentive to fabricate or selectively leak. It’s a rhetorical judo throw: if the Swiss are morally suspect, their allegations become suspect by association.

Context sharpens the intent. Bhutto, a global symbol and a frequent target in Pakistan’s power struggles, spoke under relentless scrutiny over wealth and patronage. The line tries to convert vulnerability into leverage: she can’t fully silence the corruption narrative, so she recasts it as a smear campaign staged by a tainted financial empire.

Quote Details

TopicJustice
SourceHelp us find the source
Cite

Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Bhutto, Benazir. (2026, January 17). I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-never-had-a-bank-account-in-switzerland-since-38148/

Chicago Style
Bhutto, Benazir. "I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-never-had-a-bank-account-in-switzerland-since-38148/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I've never had a bank account in Switzerland since 1984. Why would the Swiss do this to me? Maybe the Swiss are trying to divert attention from the Holocaust gold scandal." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/ive-never-had-a-bank-account-in-switzerland-since-38148/. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.

More Quotes by Benazir Add to List
Benazir Bhutto: No Swiss Account Since 1984 and Holocaust Gold Scandal
Click to enlarge Portrait | Landscape

About the Author

Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto (June 21, 1953 - December 27, 2007) was a Leader from Pakistan.

14 more quotes available

View Profile

Similar Quotes