Swiss financier Martin Ebner is facing criminal charges over allegations of insider trading connected to the sale of shares in Société Internationale Pirelli (SIP) by his firm BZ Group in March 1998.

BZ Group said in a statement that the district attorney alleges that Ebner used insider knowledge about Pirelli's impending restructuring to gain an "illegitimate pecuniary benefit". Ebner said he was dismayed by the charges, while BZ Group said it "does not understand why this accusation was raised".