By Jerry Smith Jan 17 2011
assangewatch.blogspot.com
Rudolf Elmer, a former employee of Swiss-based Bank Julius Baer, handed over documents to WikiLeaks that he alleges detail attempts by wealthy business leaders and lawmakers to evade tax payments.
Julian Assange met with Mr. Elmer at London's Frontline Club to receive the files and praise his attempts to expose alleged shady practices in the financial industry.
Mr. Elmer, who was a director at Julius Baer in Cayman Islands, said the documents include details of about 2,000 accounts held in offshore financial centers and the account holders include "high net worth" celebrities, business leaders and lawmakers from the U.S., Britain and Asia.
Assange said that, with his organization focussed on the publication of its cache of about 250,000 diplomatic cables, it could be several weeks before Elmer's files are reviewed and posted in the WikiLeaks website. "We will treat this information like all other information we get," Assange said. "There will be a full revelation." He also promised that the flow of leaked documents published by his organization would increase.
Mr. Elmer, who has previously leaked banking documents to Wikileaks, told journalists that he wanted to expose the offshore banking system. He said "I want to let society know how this system works. It's damaging society."
The ex-swiss banker in due in a Zurich regional court on Wednesday Jan 19 2011, to answer charges of coercion and violating Switzerland's strict banking secrecy laws after he passed on clients' data to WikiLeaks in 2007.
Mr. Assange has made few public appearances since he was released on bail on Dec. 16. He had been arrested on a Swedish extradition warrant. Under the terms of his release, Mr. Assange must live at the mansion home of Vaughan Smith, the owner of the Frontline Club, where the news conference and handover took place.
This is video from Reuters and shows the actual handover:
This is video from AP and does not show the actual handover:
This is a news story featuring the handover by RT:
This is a news story on BBC World News America by Moxnews. January 17, 2011:
This is a news story on CNN by Moxnews:
This is The Dylan Ratigan Show on MSNBC with Johann Hari from The Independent by Moxnews:
This is from Channel 4 News. The video shows Assange talking, then Elmer talking and holding the discs, but stops just short of the handover:
For those who would like to read other articles on the handover of files here are a few.
Swiss whistleblower hands tax data on high earners to WikiLeaks : Contains Video of the Handover.
'Bank Details Of The Rich' May Be Made Public : Contains Pictures and Video of the Handover.
Ex-Swiss banker says he'll hand files on alleged tax evasion in offshore havens to WikiLeaks
Ex-Swiss banker to hand celebrity account files to WikiLeaks
Ex-Swiss banker to hand account files to WikiLeaks
Accounts dossier given to WikiLeaks
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