Swiss banker linked to Wikileaks is found guilty

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: BBC

A former Swiss banker who said he gave Wikileaks details of rich tax evaders has been found guilty of breaching Switzerland's strict bank secrecy laws.

A judge at Zurich's Regional Court did so even though the leaked documents referred to accounts in the Cayman Islands.

Judge Sebastian Aeppli fined Rudolf Elmer more than 6,000 Swiss francs ($6,250; £4,000).

But he rejected prosecution demands to give Elmer an eight-month prison sentence.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12231036?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[DCKit]

1. Wow, that was fast.

[ljm2002]

2. +1000000

You beat me to it -- but I would not have included such excellent visual aids!

K&R

[xchrom]

4. brilliant! nt

[glinda]

16. He should take care though because of retaliation. Good news though.

[Amonester]

19. Nothing will happen to him, as long as the mega-crooks names will remain

secret.

The fact that he only got fined and not thrown in jail is quite revealing...

[TheMadMonk]

25. I was going to comment on that too. Seems to me the Judge was making...

...a fairly loud statement, that distinguishes between whistle blowing and other malicious purpose. In a country which hands out 100k speeding fines, 6 grand for a major breach of banking privacy is a slap on the wrist.

The facts are certainly not open to dispute, and Swiss banking law is notoriously protective of the industry's customers. I won't say he got what he deserved. However, I will say that he got off a hell of a lot more lightly than anyone could have reasonably expected.

[Enthusiast]

17. Fantastic!

And right on!

[gvstn]

21. Those pics are hilarious!

Thanks for the news of the verdict.

I, too, am surprised so light a punishment. I'm glad to hear it. Whatever happened to the people that didn't take advantage of U.S. tax amnesty regarding this matter? I never heard of any one being charged by the IRS.

[avaistheone1]

22. Grrreat pic.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Not a bad result really

I bet his bank are gutted.

[Ruperto32]

13. A $6k fine? He can pay that out of the spare change in his laundry.

Justice is still alive in Switzerland.

[reorg]

24. he doesn't have to pay

the penalty is "bedingt" which is the Swiss term for a probational sentence. He only has to pay the 6000 if he does it again - within the next two years - and if he is once again found guilty of doing it for revenge (the judge did not find he was a whistleblower - in that case he would have been acquitted).

He has to pay legal costs, though, to the tune of 4000 Swiss franks.

http://www.nachrichten.ch/detail/474450.htm

[Angry Dragon]

5. Not five minutes ago I read a post stating

he was returning to Switzerland to face trial

[Poll_Blind]

8. Got me wondering if the trial was held in an airport lounge.

PB

[DCKit]

10. On the ramp, on the plane, in the restroom, in the limo from the airport....

Still, it looks as though the judge knows the difference between "the law" and "justice".

[Ruperto32]

14. Yup, that was some speedy justice.

[SpiralHawk]

6. OK Wikileaks - time to DUMP the DATA

We are ready for another dose of BANKSTER reality...

[Poll_Blind]

7. That's the best confirmation that the informaiton which comes out is authentic.

And he now owes $6,250. That's not nothing but that's nothing.

PB

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. I always knew it would come down to this.

People who were willing to martyr themselves for a good cause.

Crazy world we live in today when there are no good guys in positions of leadership.

[Lint Head]

11. This guy is already rich. Slap on the wrist.

[bluedigger]

12. That really surprises me!

Not the verdict, but the slap on the wrist fine. I would have expected the Swiss to take the matter much more seriously. I'll bet their bankers aren't too happy about it.

[DCKit]

15. I'm sure they're terrified and purging the ranks of all "disgruntled" employees.

This judge may have unleashed a tidal wave.

[midnight]

18. K&R and compliments to DCKit for the visuals....

[defendandprotect]

20. No one has banking secrets quite like the Swiss ... !!! From WWII onward ...

and certainly Secret Swiss bank accounts are a threat to us all --

basically, to democracy!!


Well, other than our American banks which also held even more accounts for

Jews who ended up in Hitler's concentration camps -- much of that still

unsettled, as I recall?

And, eh, the drug money laundering which goes thru our banks -- hundreds of

billions every year!!

The filthy profits from "liar loans" -- and mortgage forcelosures --

The past decades of theft and embezzlements in the banking industry here --

and, as always, US citizens forced to bail them out!

Crime = capitalism

[alp227]

23. damn, i was hoping it mean "exposed by" wikileaks n/t