Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer plans to hand over offshore banking secrets...to WikiLeaks

The (Red) Guardian ^ | 1/16/11 | Ed Vulliamy

[markomalley]

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.

He is also – at a time when the activities of banks are a matter of public concern – one of a small band of employees and executives seeking to blow the whistle on what they see as unprofessional, immoral and even potentially criminal activity by powerful international financial institutions.

Along with the City of London and Wall Street, Switzerland is a fortress of banking and financial services, but famously secretive and expert in the concealment of wealth from all over the world for tax evasion and other extra-legal purposes.

[markomalley]

Full Title: Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer plans to hand over offshore banking secrets of the rich and famous to WikiLeaks

[sinsofsolarempirefan]

Why announce in advance something you are about to do which will apparently be so devastating to powerful interests? If it really is that devastating, he wouldn’t live to see it through...

[chadwimc]

I’ll bet there are some “progressive, liberal” names on that list. Not paying their “fair” share of taxes...

[MichaelP]

On this I say: GOOD!

[hoosiermama]

“approximately 40 politicians”.

Am betting the Clintons will be on the list.

[HANG THE EXPENSE]

You can bet their names will mysteriously be omitted.

[4rcane]

al gore and clinton would be on the list

[Doofer]

Joe Lieberman

[golux]

I’m no fan of Assange but if it pans out, this oughta be good... For all of us. I’d like to know why Charlie Rangel’s so chummy with Bermuda’s banking elite.

[BinaryBoy]

And they will be shocked and horrified at what their evil accountants did behind their backs.

[rhombus]

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.

Ah, good old class envy. It never ceases to delight. I wonder where the point is where one is no longer a "person in the street" and becomes one of the "big people". What's next? Tracking down everyone who avoides sales tax by purchasing online or by traveling to a neighboring state? Or maybe that should still be OK for "the person in the street" but not for the "big people". ;-)

[WorkingClassFilth]

If it’s a threat to a Western tradition or institution, you can bet it’s standard issue Marxist ‘morality’ that is propelling this whistleblower. Of course, odds are that his political names will NOT be progressive ones.

[muawiyah]

Didn’t Bernie Madoff “take out” all the rich Progressives already?

[mewykwistmas]

“will be handed over to the WikiLeaks organisation in London tomorrow”

Dead man walking. E-mailing or uploading would have been much better

[Will88]

The names on the CDs will not be made publi, just as a much shorter list of 15 clients that Elmer handed to WikiLeaks in 2008 has remained hitherto undisclosed by the organisation headed by Julian Assange, currently on bail over alleged sex offences in Sweden, and under investigation in the US for the dissemination of thousands of state department documents.

A cynic might think that the names are being withheld to give both Rudolf Elmer and Assange some leverage in fighting their international legal problems. If the names of famous politicians and other influential people appear on the list, governments might be pressured to go easy on the legal charges, or the names will be made public.

[vetvetdoug]

Now these are the kind of leaks that need to be leaked. This will expose the hypocritical politicians, RINO’s, Democrats, presstitutes, and businessmen that lie to us on a daily basis. I have no problem with this.

[MDspinboyredux]

And WikiLeaks’ high-tech extortion racket continues.

[WellyP]

Soros will be among the first few to put out a contract out on this guy......I think!

[scooby321]

“approximately 40 politicians”.

Its going to fun to hear the spin on those Democrats.

[markomalley]

Soros will be among the first few to put out a contract out on this guy......I think!

Unless he works for SOros

[Postman]

Look for any of the Kennedy’s.

[Armed Civilian]

Ping aling

[WellyP]

Castro and Chavez will be interesting accounts along with the ones belonging that rancid old dictator in Zimbabwe! Add Putin!

[Vaduz]

“high net worth individuals” dial M

[Nickname]

Publishing classified US documents, meh.... But THIS might get them in some trouble.

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Be cool if it was Al Gore, the Clintons, Bono of U2, George Soros, etc...that have their names released. Note that Soros is a Liberal Commie Globalist, so I do not think he has ties to WikiLeaks

I think only the most Commie of the Business Socialists would be upset with the release of these names. The politicians who make the laws that tax everyone...they should be exposed

[mimaw]

I'll be looking for Chirac and others involved with UN food for oil or whatever that scam was called.

[Bulwyf]

I agree, this man won’t last long if what he says is true.

[Liz]

Swiss whistleblower to hand over offshore banking secrets...to WikiLeaks----will show “approximately 40 politicians” with offshore accounts.

Aha---pols offshore accounts---I knew Wikileaks would come in handy. Course, I'm not surprised in the least. Gangsters in govt have been been looting and pillaging the US Treasury for ages.

However, I nominate the Chi/mob now in the WH as the plus-perfect looting operation. Read on:

CIRCA OBAMA---The Con of the Decade
Of Two Minds Blog | 7/8/2010 | Charles Hugh Smith
FR Posted by delapaz

The Federal government could potentially inflate away these trillions in Treasuries, buy enough elected officials to force austerity so inflation remains tame. In essence, these private banks and corporations now own the revenue stream of the Federal government and its taxpayers.

Neat con, and the marks (us taxpayers) will never understand how "saving our financial system" led to their servitude to the very interests they bailed out. The circle is now complete: in "saving our financial system," the public borrowed trillions and transferred the money to private Power Elites, who then buy the public debt with the money swindled out of the taxpayer.

Then the taxpayers transfer more wealth every year to the Power Elites/Plutocracy in the form of interest on the Treasury debt. The Power Elites will own the debt that was taken on to bail them out of bad private bets: this is the culmination of privatized gains, socialized risk.

In effect, it's a Third World/colonial scam on a gigantic scale: plunder the public treasury, then buy the debt which was borrowed and transferred to your pockets. You are buying the country with money you borrowed from its taxpayers. No despot could do better. (Excerpt) Read more at oftwominds.com

==================================..

SO HOW DID GANGSTER GOVERNMENT SCAM $14 TRILLION BAILOUTS INTO THEIR POCKETS? Bernie Madoff used the time-tested Wall Street MO----creating a super-secret labyrinth of interrelated international funds, institutions and financial entities of almost unparalleled complexity and breadth......with assets and businesses in multiple places overseas that hid thievery, money launderering and tax evasion.

"Wall Street Rahm, take a bow" (/snix) (remember that Emanuel took contol of Dept of the Treasury activities when he went to the WH). Rahm also put his brother in charge of Obamacare, and Medicare/Medicaid billions.

<><> KEEP IN MIND Fannie/Freddie are the key criminal mechanisms of the criminal enterprise that is the thieving Democrat party and its minions. <><>

Rahm Emanuel was also appointed to Fannie Mae's board by Clinton----- Rahm's financial activities were protected by Obama's refusal to release Fannie documents requested under FOIA.

[Liz]

Keep in mind Ohaha put Biden in charge of the $2 trillion stimulus pkg and that millions in stimulus are hidden in the states (convenient to wire-transfer offshore to numbered accounts). Read on

==================================================

"Hi there, Americans. Obama put me in charge of the trillion dollar
stimulus. My son and brother are gonna help me disperse the money. "

================================

Fraudster had links to offshore fund run by Bidens
Reuters on Yahoo | 2/23/09 | BY Ajay Kamalakaran

(Reuters) – A fund of offshore hedge funds run by two members of VP Joe Biden's family was marketed exclusively by offshore firms controlled by Texas financier Allen Stanford, charged by regulators with an $8 billion fraud, the Wall Street Journal said.

The Bidens $50 million fund was jointly branded between the Bidens' Paradigm Global Advisors LLC and the offshore Stanford Financial Group entity headquartered in Antigua, and was known as the Paradigm Stanford Capital Management Core Alternative Fund, the paper said. Stanford-related offshore companies marketed the Biden fund to investors and also invested about $2.7 million of their own money in the fund, the paper said, citing a lawyer for Paradigm.

Paradigm Global Advisors is owned through a holding company by the vice president Biden's son, Hunter, and Joe Biden's brother, James, according to the WSJ. Paradigm's attorney, Marc LoPresti, who represents Hunter Biden and James Biden, as well as Paradigm, told the paper he did not know which Stanford entity invested the roughly $2.7 million.

Marc LoPresti, who represents Hunter Biden and James Biden told the paper the Bidens NEVER met or communicated with Stanford. (/snicker)

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

[The Comedian]

On this I say: GOOD!

If it contains the names of politicians, especially "progressive" politicians, I have to agree 110%.

Stick it to The Man!

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Tailback]

If there were progressive names on the list he’d be dead already. The list has been scrubbed and only contains Republicans.

I don’t trust any of this wikileak stuff. I see Soros’ hands in this.

[Condor51]

Swiss whistleblower to hand over offshore banking secrets...to WikiLeaks----will show “approximately 40 politicians” with offshore accounts.

Oh boy. Now THIS will be sweeeeeet.
My bets are:

1. Most of the 40 will be Dems.
   
2. Most of those 40 Dems will be Black.
   
3. Any Republican of the 40 will be charged and prosecuted To The Max by Holder.
   
4. Charges and Prosecution of the Dems will be put on the back burner, or proceed at a snails pace.
   
5. Charges and Prosecution of Black Dems will not be pursed at all by Holder. As 'evidence' will be lost or deemed 'insufficient'. Just like with the Black Panthers.
   and last, but not least.....
   
6. If any of those 40 are White, Jewish, Dems, everything will go down the memory hole and not one thing will be done. Not even an investigation.

   As Abe Foxman and his ADL, along with AIPAC, will scream 'ANTISEMITISM' and 'McCarthyism Witch Hunt' (which is why the HUAC hearing came to s sudden halt. Too many commie spies / traitors were Jewish) (True Fact).

If Vegas was giving Oddss those would be my bets.

[Liz]

If any of the Offshore 40 are White, Jewish, Dems.....ADL Abe and AIPAC, will scream bloody murder…………

(Yawn)....yeah, the usual protection game.... (snore).

Keep in mind, Madoff was running simultaneous scams:

(1) a tax evasion scheme for wealthy businessmen ("losing" money is a tax write-off;

(2) a money laundering scam;

(3) a protection racket,

(4) aiding and abetting wealthy tax-exempt foundations to evade US banking laws and the IRS.

The SEC did not have “the slightest clue” about Madoff's financial fraud. Until Madoff confessed.

Madoff operated free and clear for some 25 years b/c knew he was "protected” from the law. Few people realize that it is a career-killer for any L/E agency to suggest that someone of Jewish heritage is doing something illegal.

Madoff and his investors, money launderers, tax evaders, and so-called "philanthropists," colluded to keep the law at arms length----they strong-armed the message: "You come after us, you lose your job."

If anyone dared to suggest wrongdoing---Big Abe was hauled out to beat them down with the dreaded club of anti-Semitism.

[Condor51]

*** (Yawn)....yeah, the usual protection game.... (snore). ***

I concur. But that tactic still works.

We've wised up to the Race Card being played. They've cried 'wolf' so to many times being called a racist no longer has any effect. It's now a joke.

But being called antisemitic, even when calling out Israel for spying on us, people still get the willies about saying anything.

Oh NO, Pretty please, don't call me that. I won't say anything ever again.

Wrong is wrong. 'Ally' or not. You don't spy or steal secrets from friends.
And there's no 'do-overs', or 'Special Status' (aka; Untouchable) because of your Religion.

If I made Abe's or the SPLC's 'list' - I'd throw a party.

[onyx]

LOL. I can barely await the list.

[onyx]

OH BOY.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Perhaps this is why Michael Moore came to the defense of Assange.

[TribalPrincess2U]

You can take that to the bank!

[TribalPrincess2U]

I think he like to make people sweat, squirm and pee their pants.

[hoosiermama]

I'd bet we could make a list of our own of forty names and get enough to pass a test...Let's see 70% of 40, that's 28 names we'd have to correctly name.

Rangel,
Gore
Clinton
Who else “vacations” in the area?

[Revel]

“Those involved include, Elmer tells the Observer, “approximately 40 politicians”. “

Now that would explain why congress is so frisky after wikileaks threatened to turn over banking information.

Come to think of it. Didn’t wikileaks say they were going to release information on a big bank at the beginning of January. Strange that I never heard a thing.

[piasa]

...Julius Baer has denied all wrongdoing, and rejects Elmer’s allegations....Mr Elmer spread baseless accusations and ....To back up his campaign, he also used falsified documents. The bank also accuses Elmer of threatening colleagues...

[Revel]

Oh it turns out the names of the perps are going to withheld by wikileaks. So Wikileaks is not so interested in exposing fraud after all.

[Rockitz]

In other news, Julian Assange has just announced that Wikileaks has secured an anonymous donation that will allow it to stay in business for the next 40 years.

[CutePuppy]

Julius Bär (Baer) Gruppe AG
Bahnhofstrasse 36
CH-8010 Zurich, Switzerland
http://www.juliusbaer.com

2009 Sales - $1,815M
2009 Income - $375M
Employees - 3,078

Chairman - Raymond J. Baer
CEO - Boris F.J. Collardi

Fees & commissions comprise 53%; Interest - 31%; Trading & other - 16% of revenues.

The financial services firm provides private banking and investment advisory services to wealthy individuals and asset managers around the world. Through the subsidiary Bank Julius Baer and other units, the firm is the largest independent private bankers among the traditional Swiss banking companies. Julius Baer has more than 40 offices in many of the world's financial centers, from Dubai to Tokyo. In 2009 the company spun off GAM Holding and divested its stake in advisory firm Artio Global Investors to focus on its private banking business.

In early 2010 the company acquired ING's Swiss private bank, which also has operations in Monaco and Jersey, to add to its Monaco-based previous acquisition Capital Invest. It also plans to buy Italian asset manager Alpha SIM, which specializes in advisory services for high net-worth individuals. The firm recently opened a branch in Abu Dhabi and is looking for merger or acquisition opportunities in Asia.

Company also has branches in Tokyo and does business in Grand Cayman under the name Ursa Company Ltd., and as Bronte International SA in British Virgin Islands. Other affiliates include Arpese SA, Bank Julius Bär Europe AG, Ferrier Lullin Trust Management SA, Infidar Investment Advisory Ltd. and JB Swiss Capital Market Research Ltd.

Swiss whistleblower to hand over offshore banking secrets...to WikiLeaks ---- will show “approximately 40 politicians” with offshore accounts.

Well, since he already has his own website ( http://swisswhistleblower.com ) why couldn't he post the info there, and/or give it for publication to NYT, WaPo, The Guardian, Le Figaro etc. etc. - why give it to Wikileaks to publish? To gain "credibility" because it would come out of highly "controversial" and "credible" source?

Wikileaks is trying to claim credit for Tunisian revolution / coup, which means it is on 10+ minutes of its 15 minutes of fame, and Assange must now rely on unspecified threats blackmail tactics to save his skin from jail. As such, he needs and attracts fellow scoundrels who think this tactic will work for them.

Sounds like one weak hand is trying to wash another weak hand, in an attempted fuzzy blackmail threats, going on the theory that "there's the strength in numbers". So far it has already backfired on Wikileaks recent dumps, so I'd like them (and the spinoff OpenLeaks outfit) to keep going with the documents dumping. How does it go, "you can't cheat an honest man"?

From Elmer, whistleblower or a bitter ex-banker? - AAP (Australia) | 2011 January 18

< snip > ..... Swiss private bank Julius Baer portrays Elmer as a disgruntled former employee who is waging a personal vendetta after being fired in 2002. ..... < snip >

..... His main aim is to challenge banking secrecy before the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the Swiss justice system that he will face on Wednesday. < snip >

..... The public prosecutor accused him of seeking to blackmail the bank by threatening to publish documents and is seeking a suspended eight month jail sentence as well as a 2,000 Swiss franc (1,555 euro) fine.

The former banker nonetheless believes that it is possible to have an "ethical and moral" system of wealth management.

When Elmer was sacked in 2002 he left the bank with a ream of internal documents, a claim confirmed by Julius Baer in 2005 when it lodged a formal legal complaint against persons unknown.

In 2008, data Elmer provided was published on Wikileaks, promoting a US court to serve a temporary injunction closing down the whistleblowing website at the request of the bank.

Swiss television SF1 reported some of the documents turned out to be false. ..... < snip >

Any "dumped" documents (from supposedly 2,000 Grand Cayman accounts) are not likely to be fresher than 2002 and have been mostly "out" already, on Wikileaks in 2008 and through court filings since 2005, so don't expect much in the way of "grand" disclosures, especially if it affects 1990's U.S. Capitol Gang.

Does it sound a bit (a lot?) like The Informant!, a 2009 movie about corrupt cheater Mark Whitacre, the whistleblower against corrupt price-fixing agricultural (corn, soy and wheat) giant ADM and Andreas family, only in this case there is, so far, no evidence of wrongdoing (i.e., inconsistency with banking secrecy laws of Switzerland, Grand Cayman, Bahamas etc.) by Julius Baer Gruppe AG?

Also, is this the "big bank" document dump that Assange threatened, which almost everyone took to be the Bank of America? If so, then it sounds like another thud...

[unixfox]

What's that smell in Washington? The smell of shredders burning the midnight oil?

I hope they expose EVERYONE of the CROOKS! Course, nothing will EVER happen to the scumbags but at least they will get their chains yanked!