The Swiss banking association was forced to apologise on Thursday night for remarks by its chairman that the activities of Germany’s BND intelligence agency in a nationwide crackdown on tax evaders were reminiscent of the Gestapo.

In a statement issued last night, the Swiss banking association said Pierre Mirabaud, its president, “regretted the impression that could have been conveyed when he talked about Gestapo methods in relation to the German intelligence service”.