Friday, May 16, 2008

Swiss banker blows whistle on industry

Swiss banker blows whistle on industry

By Hugh Williamson in Berlin and Haig Simonian in Zurich

Published: May 15 2008 17:34 | Last updated: May 15 2008 17:34

A Swiss banker has lodged a case with the European Court of Human Rights against Switzerland's rules on bank secrecy.

Rudolf Elmer, a former manager with Julius Baer, the private Swiss bank, told reporters in Berlin the country's banking law permits finance institutions to cover up their "criminal support for white collar crime" such as tax evasion, and allows witnesses in legal cases to remain anonymous if bank secrecy is at risk. These factors mean "fair trials are not possible under the law".

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