The federal public minister of Switzerland (similar to an attorney general or solicitor general) denies that banks did anything illegal by transmitting the names of 10,000 Swiss bank employees to USA authorities. The lawyer of the plaintiff, a former bank employee, said that the decision signifies that, “No one committed a single illegal act” («aucun acte illicite n’a été commis par personne»). The plaintif will challenge this decision within ten days before the Swiss federal penal Tribunal.
It seems like the Swiss authorities are circling the wagons around the Swiss banks against the rights of individual Swiss citizens.
Plainte d’un ancien de la banque HSBC classée
Hat tip: Jefferson D. Tomas
In this article, law professor Marcel Niggli summarizes the situation as follows:
The Swiss government point of view:
“The government treats these business interests of the banks as if they were the business interests of Switzerland because the US market is so enormously important.”
Here is the point of view of the banks:
“The disclosure of certain data is necessary to achieve a solution and the solving of this issue is very important for both the bank and all its current and former employees,”
“The companies know the risk of penalties in Switzerland is insignificant compared with the business risk in the US.”
The US point of view:
“The deterrent value of having the names of bank employees and prosecuting them may be even greater to the DoJ than getting details of all US client accounts. If one banker is indicted or detained in a hotel room as a material witness, that resonates in Switzerland.”
Here’s a very good article, for our French readers, entitled “Vive la concurrence, y compris fiscale“.
The Swiss government allows its banks and their connections to the US government to force compliance on them. Meanwhile Who Does The US Government Intend To Shoot?
“What would be the target of these 174,000 rounds of hollow point
bullets? It can’t simply be to control demonstrators or rioters. Hollow
point bullets are so lethal that the Geneva Convention does not allow
their use on the battle field in time of war. Hollow point bullets don’t
just stop or hurt people, they penetrate the body, spread out, fragment
and cause maximum damage to the body’s organs. Death often follows.”
The US government is behaving like a wounded lion. As if murdering millions in pursuit of empire wasn’t enough, the Feds are preparing for civil war within the US. No wonder the Swiss government are so worried, as well they should be.
Widmer-Schlumpf said the other day that another purchase by German tax authorities of a CD containing Swiss banking data is unacceptable.
http://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/4215335-eveline-widmer-schlumpf-fachee-par-l-achat-de-cd-illegaux.html
When politicians openly purchase illegal copies of data, I ask myself what is their conception of a nation of laws.
When voluntary disclosure is instaured systematically through intimidation, we are closer to organized crime than tax collection. That is unacceptable.
BRAVO! Well said, Madame la Présidente. BUT: We’ll see what you have to say on Hornung’s appeal of the refusal of the administration to investigate the criminal violations comitted against employees in Switzerland whose data were disclosed by banks to US authorities.
By the way, if anyone feels like sending a nastygram to the Swiss Attorney General, here is the website: http://www.bundesanwaltschaft.ch/index.html?lang=fr
Also, it appears that the same commitee that tried to reinforce the need for popular votes on treaties in Switzerland has raised a triple referendum against treaties with Germany, UK and Austria. http://fr.referendum.ch/index.php
If you are Swiss, I would urge you to download the signature form and sign, and get anyone else you can to sign as well. http://www.referendum.ch/download/unterschriftenbogen_referendum_steuern.pdf
Also, it would be good to encourage them to raise a constitutional initative forbidding the application of unfair US extraterritorial reporting and taxation laws.
Related articles on Jack Townsend’s blog about Swiss Federal Data Protection Comissioner involvement:
http://federaltaxcrimes.blogspot.ch/2012/08/a-recent-article-describes-entry-by.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/oGeEWy+(Federal+Tax+Crimes)
Also an earlier article at Townsend with links to other articles: http://federaltaxcrimes.blogspot.ch/2012/08/swiss-banks-rat-out-their-employees-to.html