A student who answered a question on a Swiss game show before it was even asked is facing charges of fraud.

The BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones reports from Geneva (37")

The makers of the programme, Risiko, say they are baffled by the performance of the young contestant, Tommaso Ramundo, an economics student.

His apparent knowledge of current affairs was so good that his performance on the quiz show was about to win him $25,000 (£15,000).

However, when he was asked the name of the president of the Swiss Holocaust Fund, Mr Ramundo's good form deserted him.

From Geneva, the BBC's Owen Bennett-Jones said: "The correct answer was chocolate manufacturer Rolf Bloc but Mr Ramundo replied with the name of football player Viorel Moldovan.

"What seemed like a simple error turned into a police investigation because two questions later Mr Ramundo was asked a question for which the answer was Viorel Moldovan."

Mr Ramundo insists it is all a coincidence but TV bosses remain unconvinced and has withheld his prize money.

A spokesman for the programme said that the real questions were used during rehearsals in front of a studio audience two hours before the show went on air.

It is thought that a member of the audience or a technician might have been able to give contestants advance warning as to what questions were coming up.

Programme makers say they are now using alternative questions in their rehearsals.
 

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