THE SWISS BANKING WHISTLEBLOWER who provided the details of offshore bank accounts to WikiLeaks has been found guilty of coercion and violating bank secrecy laws.
Prosecutors had accused Elmer of stealing client data after being fired from his job at the Cayman Islands branch of Swiss bank Julius Baer Bank.
Elmer claimed he acted after being persecuted by his employers and wanted to expose tax evasion by sending data to tax authorities, according to the AP and the Washington Post.
He had used WikiLeaks three years ago to publish confidential client information.
At a press event two days ago, Elmer handed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange two CDs which he said contained the bank account details of 2,000 prominent figures, including about 40 politicians. He claims the accounts are being held with the intention of evading tax.
About a dozen protesters had gathered outside the one-day trial at a Zurich court today, Al Jazeera reported earlier today. Protesters claimed that in contrast to Elmer, the bank UBS had been allowed off the hook for providing client details to the US without any of its bankers being prosecuted in Switzerland.
Elmer said he had erred in his attempts to expose the alleged tax fraud, telling the media before the verdict was announced: “I made big mistakes, I admit that. I wouldn’t say I’m a hero, but also not that I’m a traitor.”
The judge sentenced Elmer to a €4,600 ($6,000) fine which is suspended for two years, but rejected the prosecution’s calls for a prison sentence, Reuters reports.
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