French tax data stolen from HSBC
Bank files charges against ex-employee for leaking list of Swiss accounts to French government
THE GOVERNMENT has admitted that some of the information it used to launch a crackdown on overseas tax dodgers might have been stolen.
French tax authorities received a list in August of 3,000 people with undeclared accounts in Switzerland - but it has emerged that some of the data comes from a former HSBC employee in Geneva who is alleged to have stolen the list from the banking giant.
Budget minister Eric Woerth told France 2 last night that the HSBC data was one of the sources used to compile the list of potential tax dodgers, but not the only source.
He said the government had acted legally and the HSBC source had not been paid.
"He came to see the tax authorities, who then checked that the information was reliable," Woerth said. "It would be shocking if we had not done anything with the data."
HSBC confirmed yesterday that it had filed a criminal complaint against the former employee.
The Swiss account list, which is said to include the names of people with undeclared income totalling €3 billion, is part of a wider campaign by French tax authorities to crackdown on foreign earnings.
The account-holders – who are with three Swiss banks – were told to get their affairs in order by December 31 or they will face a full tax investigation.
Photo:Adotjdotsmith
