The Swiss banking giant was reticent about media reports that it has been charged over the harassment of a whistleblower.

UBS's French unit was charged earlier this month over the potential harassment of a whistleblower behind a tax probe that spurred the bank to post a €1.1 billion ($1.16 billion) bond to cover possible penalties, according to media reports.

UBS France was charged in relation to the alleged harassment of Nicolas Forissier, a former audit manager who helped prompt the probes almost a decade ago, two people familiar with the matter reportedly told Bloomberg.

The French unit of the world's largest money manager faced allegations that Forissier was forced to work under unreasonable conditions, which included internal criticism and eventual dismissal for gross misconduct in 2009, one of the sources reportedly told Bloomberg. 

The development came almost a year after UBS France was charged over possible witness tampering, which related to accusations Forissier was pressured by the bank before he was scheduled to testify in an employment tribunal lawsuit that involved another staff member.

“We don't comment on rumours of speculation,” a UBS spokesperson told WealthBriefing. 

Last year, French prosecutors recommended that UBS and its French arm should have faced a criminal trial over allegations it assisted clients who evaded taxes. Investigative judges, who have a final say in the matter, have yet to reach a conclusion. 

Last month, the Swiss banking giant reported mixed fortunes for its wealth management operations for 2016, as its Americas business saw a surge in year-on-year profits while wealth operations in the rest of the world logged a fall.