PRAGUE (Reuters) - A Czech communist member of the European Parliament denied on Sunday that he had tried to carry out an illegal transaction involving 350 million euros ($381 million) at a Swiss bank.
Czech and Slovak officials said on Friday that Swiss police arrested Miloslav Ransdorf and three Slovak nationals who they said had tried to withdraw, or transfer, the money from a bank using forged documents.
In a statement emailed by his associates, Ransdorf said he went to Kantonalbank Zurich on Thursday with three Slovak citizens in order to "open communication" between the bank and someone who had an account there.
He denied any attempts to move any money.
"My conscience is clean, I did not do anything against the law," he said, adding he had never had an account at the bank.
Ransdorf said he was released by police on Friday though did not physically leave police custody until Saturday morning.
He did not mention any charges against him either from the Swiss police or by the state attorney who questioned him.
(Reporting by Robert Muller; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
