Whistleblower to hand over offshore banking secrets of the rich & famous to Wikileaks

[financeguy]

Whistleblower to hand over offshore banking secrets of the rich & famous to Wikileaks

The offshore bank account details of 2,000 "high net worth individuals" and corporations – detailing massive potential tax evasion – will be handed over to the WikiLeaks organisation in London tomorrow by the most important and boldest whistleblower in Swiss banking history, Rudolf Elmer, two days before he goes on trial in his native Switzerland.

British and American individuals and companies are among the offshore clients whose details will be contained on CDs presented to WikiLeaks at the Frontline Club in London. Those involved include, Elmer tells the Observer, "approximately 40 politicians".

Elmer, who after his press conference will return to Switzerland from exile in Mauritius to face trial, is a former chief operating officer in the Cayman Islands and employee of the powerful Julius Baer bank, which accuses him of stealing the information.

Elmer says: "I agree with privacy in banking for the person in the street, and legitimate activity, but in these instances privacy is being abused so that big people can get big banking organisations to service them. The normal, hard-working taxpayer is being abused also.

"Once you become part of senior management," he says, "and gain international experience, as I did, then you are part of the inner circle – and things become much clearer. You are part of the plot. You know what the real products and service are, and why they are so expensive. It should be no surprise that the main product is secrecy … Crimes are committed and lies spread in order to protect this secrecy."

Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer plans to hand over offshore banking secrets of the rich and famous to WikiLeaks | Media | The Observer

 

[BonosSaint]

Should be interesting to see if something develops from that.

 

[Knuckle]

If true, then this should spell the near end of Wikileaks. Releasing somewhat benign diplomatic cables that might cause minor humiliation to a salaried bureaucrat is one thing, but threatening real wealth and power is something altogether different.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

There is something a bit ironic about a guy who worked in the kind of job he did and having the kind of charges against him that he does passing on this information, or threatening to.

But yes, it will be interesting to see what happens next with that. And given how little privacy anyone/anything gets nowadays, I wonder how long the specific names of those involved will stay secret, too.

No surprise politicians will be on the list. Perhaps which ones may be of some shock, but I doubt it.

Angela

 

[kramwest1]

licking my chops over this leak

 

[Canadiens1131]

Can't wait for it.

The U.S. cables may be peanuts compared to the international money trails these will uncover.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i hope bono's okay.

 

[deep]

add this guy to the list of people that got buggered by Assange