The Swiss Data Protection Commissioner has issued a legal complaint against the Finance Ministry for sending the names of bank employees, lawyers, accountants and other third parties to the United States to assist with tax evasion investigations.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch
The Swiss Supreme Court has already issued a ruling that bans the indiscriminate disclosure of people’s names without forewarning the individuals involved. This applies even when Switzerland has a treaty to automatically exchange tax information with other countries, as it does with 30 nations including the US.
More
More
The human cost of bank data exchange
This content was published on
Max*, who used to work at a prominent Swiss bank, tells swissinfo.ch about the mental strain of living with the fear of being arrested, extradited and dragged into a US criminal investigation. Having worked on the North America desk of his bank’s wealth management unit, Max’s name was handed over to the US authorities without his…
These treaties were signed following a US criminal probe into the way Swiss banks helped tax evaders. The investigation and threats of legal sanctions brought about the demise of Swiss banking secrecy.
Data Protection Commissioner, Adrian Lobsiger, believes the Finance Ministry is failing to observe the court’s ruling on protecting the rights of individuals caught up in the transfer of data. His office told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper that it had issued a complaint to the Federal Administrative Court on Friday.
Government backing
“Because Switzerland wants to play the role of international model pupil, Swiss citizens are being deprived of their most basic rights,” lawyer Adrian Rüd, who represents clients who are contesting their names being handed over, told the newspaper.
The tax administration says it is too costly to black out all the names on thousands of pages of documents being handed to the US, the article states. It also states that Finance Minister Ueli Maurer has the backing of the cabinet on this issue, arguing that failure to comply with US demands for data could result in damaging repercussions.
A spokesman for the Finance Ministry told the SonntagsZeitung that the department has authority to send data to countries that have a functioning constitutional system. Swiss citizens therefore have the opportunity to dispute proceedings in other countries, which result from their names being handed over, by arguing that the evidence is inadmissible.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
The human cost of bank data exchange
This content was published on
Max*, who used to work at a prominent Swiss bank, tells swissinfo.ch about the mental strain of living with the fear of being arrested, extradited and dragged into a US criminal investigation. Having worked on the North America desk of his bank’s wealth management unit, Max’s name was handed over to the US authorities without his…
Court says disclosure of bank employee’s data ‘illegal’
This content was published on
A Swiss court has ruled that the transfer of a former Credit Suisse bank employee’s data to the United States as part of American tax evasion investigations was illegal.
This content was published on
Credit Suisse and Zurich Cantonal Bank have admitted to being the first Swiss banks to get government approval to transfer the so-called “leaver lists” to the US under the terms of a recently brokered deal. Earlier this month, the Swiss government decided to grant banks special permission to release the names of their employees and…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.