Key legal question
Whether costs could be imposed on an acquitted accused under Art. 426(2) StPO
Extracted holding
No; the judgment below did not identify clearly unlawful and culpable conduct that caused or aggravated the proceedings.
Extracted reasoning
A cost order after acquittal requires proven, civil-law-type wrongful conduct and a causal link to the investigation or its extra costs; mere participation in conduct not criminal in Switzerland or generalized criticism of secretive behavior is insufficient.