STS terminates contract with former Miss Lolita Morena

During a lengthy board meeting at the end of August, heated discussions took place.

The reason was the excessive payments to Morena, who has been on the board for over 16 years. During this time she had produced around 40 videos about animal shelters and abandoned pets and had charged 200,000 francs per year for this, without any clearly defined services being specified in the contract. In addition, she received 700 francs in expenses for each trip to board meetings, even though she travelled by car rather than using public transport as stipulated in the regulations, writes the Aargauer Zeitung.

The new board, half of which consists of newly elected members, did not wish to continue in this manner. On the very same day, a new operational regulation was adopted, intended to prevent board members from awarding themselves contracts. It also establishes clear rules between strategic and operational responsibilities. This regulation came into force at the beginning of September.

Scrutiny of leadership expenses

Peter V. Kunz, a professor of commercial law, discovered irregularities following his election to the board and is now heading a working group to review all salaries and expenses of board members. Kunz prefers not to say much in the media, but emphasises that the STS can no longer be run like a family business.

The new executive director Marco Mettler quickly recognised how serious the situation is. He called for a cultural shift within the organisation, with greater transparency and clear guidelines on conflicts of interest. Two weeks after the new regulation came into force, he terminated the contract with Morena at the end of the year. Future video commissions are to be clearly regulated, making it likely that Morena's work will no longer have any prospect of being awarded.

The Morena case shows that the STS is finally being cleaned up. An internal group is investigating the last eight to ten years, including the period of former board members Nicole Ruch and the Lienhard couple.

Many rumours are circulating about their handling of rented properties and the inflated expenses claimed by other board members. The investigations could lead to further criminal complaints. In Basel, a criminal investigation against the former board is already underway.

In addition, a reform group is addressing the organisation's future direction. A survey in which 71% of sections participated revealed that there is a great need for reform. Over 90% of sections are calling for transparent financial reports and an external review of past operations. Furthermore, 72% want Zewo certification.

This gives ousted board members Martina Munz and Michel Roux hope, who have long awaited these changes.

A large-scale clean-up

The survey shows that the reformers have backing from the sections, which have suffered under the conflicts within the board. Many of their proposals are reflected in a new draft of the statutes, which has already been revised. The 2023 financial year, for instance, was audited in full for the first time.

The new operational regulations could result in the STS being removed from the Zewo blacklist. Mettler and the new chief financial officer are already preparing everything needed to produce the annual accounts in accordance with non-profit organisation standards going forward.

On Saturday, the board will brief delegates at a conference on the next steps. Sections may submit their views on the draft statutes until mid-November, and the statutes are set to be adopted at the beginning of 2025. One point in the draft is a twelve-year term limit, which could sever longstanding ties from the Lienhard/Ruch era. However, nothing has been decided yet.

Things will become complicated for Morena: she has sold her house in Lens VS and moved to Italy, where she intends to build a farm in her birthplace and a guesthouse for people and animals. It was not possible to obtain a statement from her this week.

The new president Piero Mazzoleni could also face problems soon. He was elected on an interim basis in January but has failed to establish a succession committee. His role is also being reviewed, particularly in connection with the sale of an inherited property in Ticino.

Additionally, his close connection to Morena could be a problem. He had appointed her as his deputy and signed a new contract for the videos without informing the board.

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