Ex-banker says he's giving Wikileaks files on rich

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LONDON (AP) -- A former Swiss banker on Monday supplied documents to WikiLeaks that he alleges detail attempts by wealthy business leaders and lawmakers to evade tax payments.

Rudolf Elmer, an ex-employee of Swiss-based Bank Julius Baer, said there were 2,000 account holders named in the documents, but refused to give details of the companies or individuals involved.

He has previously offered files to WikiLeaks on financial activities in the Cayman Islands and faces a court hearing in Zurich on Wednesday to answer charges of coercion and violating Switzerland's strict banking secrecy laws.

"I do think as a banker I have the right to stand up if something is wrong," said Elmer, who addressed reporters at London's Frontline Club alongside WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

"I am against the system. I know how the system works and I know the day-to-day business. From that point of view, I wanted to let society know what I know. It is damaging our society," Elmer said.

Assange praised the ex-banker's attempts to expose alleged shady practices in the financial industry. He was making a rare public appearance since he was released on bail on Dec. 16 following his arrest on a Swedish extradition warrant.

Elmer claims his previous disclosures showed evidence of major tax avoidance in the Caribbean.

However, Assange said that with WikiLeaks focussed on other issues -- such as the publication of its cache of about 250,000 diplomatic cables, it could be several weeks before Elmer's latest files are reviewed and posted on the organization's website.

The organization has so far posted about 2,444 cables to the Internet since it began publishing the documents in November.

Assange said that, as with other WikiLeaks releases, media organizations -- he named the Financial Times and Bloomberg as possible candidates -- could be given the information ahead of time.

He said that the files, or parts of the files, may also be provided to British government fraud investigators to examine for any evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

"We will treat this information like all other information we get," Assange said. "There will be a full revelation."

The Julius Baer bank said it was aware of Elmer's decision to pass a new set of files to WikiLeaks.

"He didn't attack us at this press conference, he explicitly targeted not us but 'the system,'" the bank's spokesman Jan Vonder Muehll said.

Britain's tax authority declined to comment when asked about Assange's plan to supply details of alleged wrongdoing.

Under the terms of his release on bail, Assange must live at the mansion home of Vaughan Smith, the owner of the Frontline Club. He has compared the regime to "high-tech house arrest," but has recently promised that the flow of leaked documents published by his organization would increase.

Frank Jordans in Geneva contributed to this report.
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Finally a strike back against the class warfare that is the rich warring against the poor.

Wish things moved more quickly with Wikileaks. Still waiting for the "major US bank" to be exposed. Haven't really heard much for a couple weeks.

There is still the continuing trickle of info from CableGate at the same rate as always, but the press has been largely ignoring it in favor of attacking Wikileaks.

I'm guessing some mob bosses are going to be ticked when their bank records are exposed.

It's not a bad thing.

Except for the fact that the Mexican Drug Lords are probably hiring hit men as we speak to kill Assage (sp?).

Putin hasn't had him killed yet. Putin is a much more dangerous enemy than any Mexican drug lord.

Also, the Obama administration has not yet arranged to have him assassinated, and they certainly have both the motive and opportunity.

Uh, what Russian secrets has he revealed. Also until it makes Obama look bad personally, I don't think Obama cares what damage Assage (sp?) causes, especially since the man is popular with Obama's far-left base.

No secrets, but several released cables were critical of Putin, accusing him of having close ties with organized crime. The Obama administration has been very critical of Assange (especially statements released by Hillary Clinton) and several of the cables have shown the US administration in a bad light.

Wikileaks seems to be one issue where there is bipartisan agreement in Washington. Unfortunately, they are both wrong in opposing Wikileaks.

also: what makes you think he's talking about "drug lords" or "mobsters?"

What we really need is to find out who it was who made s**t loads of money out of the recent banking crisis. Those twats who are sitting pretty after making money by putting the economy at risk.

Uh I can think of a few people already.

George Soros, Goldman Sachs execs, etc.

Some rich people would have money in Foreign Banks because they own property in other countries and vacation in said countries.

In Britain we should know who has proffited from Royal Bank of Scotland seeing as the public own it now. But they are being secretive.