Leaked Swiss bank data had Indian names, says jailed black money whistle-blower Rudolf Elmer

Banker turned whistle-blower Rudolf Elmer, who is facing jail term in Switzerland, has claimed that bank accounts data leaked by him back in 2008 included Indian names.

As an employee of a subsidiary of Swiss entity Julius Baer bank in Cayman Islands, he had accessed certain client data. He is also suspected to have handed over the data to the whistle-blower site Wikileaks in 2011.

Elmer has told a television channel that the list included not only Americans but also people from Africa, South America and also from India.

When asked whether the list had Indian names, he said, "that is correct".

According to media reports, Elmer was given suspended jail term by a Swiss court this week for alleged forgery, among others.
As part of efforts to curb the black money menace, Indian government has been taking various measures and has also stepped cooperation with other countries on tax matters.

Earlier this month, the government said investigations are going on into the Panama paper leaks and that legal action would be taken depending on the outcome of the probe.

The leak of Panama papers in April this year revealed a list of nearly 500 Indians, including celebrities and industrialists, who allegedly stashed money in offshore entities in Panama.