WikiLeaks gets Swiss bank info
Assange goes after tax-dodging billionaire market
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A Swiss national, about to go on trial for breaking the country's strict secrecy laws, has handed Julian Assange two CDs containing names of 2,000 holders of secret Swiss bank accounts.
Rudolf Elmer used to be chief operating officer for the Cayman Islands office of the private Swiss bank Julius Baer. Elmer is going on trial in Switzerland on Wednesday, accused of breaking secrecy laws.
He has given information to WikiLeaks before and said today that people needed to know what he knows – that the current banking system is damaging society.
Elmer said today's dossier included names of people from all over the world and included business people and those in the arts.
Assange said it would take about two weeks to check the information. He said it was possible the organisation would work with other bodies, and mentioned the UK's Serious Fraud Office, the BBC reports.
It is possible the information will not be news to Her Majesty's Customs and Revenue service.
Two years ago, the Rev paid £100,000 for information about 100 people with bank accounts in Liechtenstein who were believed to owe the UK more than £100m in unpaid tax.
Assange, meanwhile, is awaiting a hearing on his extradition to Sweden to face charges of sexual misconduct.
Last week, Wikileaks gave $15,000 to Bradley Manning's defence fund – Manning is the man widely reported as the source for the diplomatic cables. ®
COMMENTS
Diplomats and Swiss bank accounts
I wonder how many names appear in both sets of leaked documents.
It depends
firstly on the laws of the land where any case is held. However, generally material obtained by criminal means is not accepted as evidence. But it can be accepted as a tip-off as to where to look for evidence that may be used in court or who to talk to. As to bank secrecy versus assistance in tax evasion or fraud there are usually limits on the amounts concerned when the authorities must be informed and bilateral agreements between countries usually explicitly forbid banks in one country from advising citizens in another how they made evade tax.
<rant>
Tax evasion is pernicious and crack downs are to be welcomed. If the rich buggers concerned actually paid what they siphon off tax rates for everyone could probably be reduced.
</rant>
I want to see more on the banks
It will be interesting to see what corrupt money games the rich and powerful are playing via swiss bank accounts. If its anything like BCCI it should help shock a few more people into seeing the shocking depths of corruption going on behind our backs.
I still don't think most people realise the full extent of what was going on at BCCI, which after a decade of investigations has been described as "the biggest clandestine money network in history." e.g.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_of_Credit_and_Commerce_International
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