WikiLeaks Whistleblower Arrested In Zurich
Posted by Michelle Moquin on January 21st, 2011
Good morning!
Have any of you been keeping up with WikiLeaks? I have been reading about Rudolf Elmer, a former Swiss banker and currently, the “WikiLeaks whistleblower”.
During his 20 years that he worked for Julius Baer, a highly reputed Swiss bank, Elmer has been collecting evidence, that includes details of about 2,000 accounts held in offshore financial centers. Some of these account holders are not only, business leaders and lawmakers from the U.S., Britain and Asia, but also some ”high net worth” celebrities. It seems quite a few people have the same idea of secreting money away for tax-evasion purposes. Not a surprise.
And no surprise either that Elmer, who describes himself as “a culprit, a witness, a whistleblower, an activist and a reformer, and who has previously leaked banking documents to WikiLeaks, had plans to hand the rest of these files over to WikiLeaks last Monday.
He (Rudolph Elemer) has been hailed by Britain’s Observer newspaper as “the most important and boldest whistleblower in Swiss banking history.”
Elmer, 54, worked for Swiss investment banking giant Julius Baer from 1987 until 2002, eventually serving as the chief operating officer of the company’s subsidiary in the Cayman Islands.
While there, he claims to have uncovered evidence that the company was helping its clients evade tax.
Here’s the write:
Swiss Whistleblower Rudolf Elmer To Hand Over Offshore Banking Secrets To WikiLeaks
LONDON — A former Swiss banker was on Monday due to hand over files to WikiLeaks which he alleges detail attempts by wealthy business leaders and lawmakers to evade tax payments.
Rudolf Elmer, a former employee of Swiss-based Bank Julius Baer, told Britain’s Observer newspaper on Sunday that the documents include details of about 2,000 accounts held in offshore financial centers. He says the account holders include “high net worth” celebrities, business leaders and lawmakers from the U.S., Britain and Asia.
Elmer, who has previously leaked banking documents to the secret-spilling site, was scheduled to hold a news conference later Monday at London’s Frontline Club with a WikiLeaks representative. Vaughan Smith, the owner of the Frontline Club, said he couldn’t say who the representative would be.
Smith’s 10-bedroom mansion in eastern England has been serving as a makeshift headquarters for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange since he was released on bail on Dec. 16. Assange has compared his bail conditions – which largely confine him to Smith’s home – to “high-tech house arrest,” but has recently promised that the flow of leaked documents would increase.
Elmer’s press conference comes two days before he is due to appear before a Zurich regional court to answer charges of coercion and violating Switzerland’s strict banking secrecy laws.
He told the Observer newspaper he planned to disclose the new set of files to expose activities in offshore financial centers. “The one thing on which I am absolutely clear is that the banks know, and the big boys know, that money is being secreted away for tax-evasion purposes,” he was quoted as telling the newspaper.
Elmer was just arrested in Zurich.
Whistleblower Swiss banker Rudolf Elmer arrested in Zurich
Zurich: Just hours after his trial on fresh charges of breaching banking secrecy, whistleblower Rudolf Elmer was arrested in Zurich. Elmer had faced a trial in Zurich on Wednesday too, but he escaped a prison sentence for making secret data public in 2007 and threatening an employee at his former employers, with a fine of 7200 Swiss Francs.
However, even before he could heave a sigh of relief, when Elmer got back to his home in a Zurich suburb, there were eight policemen waiting for him. His wife claimed their house was thoroughly searched and Elmer was taken away.
Swiss police say Elmer was arrested on the suspicion of breaking banking secrecy laws by handing over CDs earlier this week in London.
Earlier, Elmer had said that his former employers had set private detectives after him and his family. He had also admitted he sent a mail from an anonymous email id under pressure but denied having sent a bomb threat to the bank.
Elmer claimed he wanted to expose large scale tax evasion and just before his arrest, he said he was ready to face the consequences.
“I am on the right side of the street in fighting this abuse so if I have to go to jail I say let’s go,” said the former banker.
Now, the data that Elmer had handed over is being analysed by WikiLeaks, a whistleblowing website. Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks now claims that this information will soon be released.
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Readers: Elmer, flapped his lips to “fight the abuse”, what are you going to do with yours? Blog me.
RB, Merv, Zen Lill, Nell, Jesus, Kris, Larry Freda, Edna, Mike, and any one else planning on going to the Gimme Shelter Aquarias birthday party: Sorry to disappoint…I would love to meet you all, but I will not be attending the Gimme party this year.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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January 21st, 2011 at 10:59 am
That’s on time Michelle. You think you could have mentioned that BEFORE I bought in.
Why would I go if you weren’t going to be there? You should refund my money.
Dean
January 21st, 2011 at 11:01 am
Michelle
The big banks will put down anyone who gets in their way.
January 21st, 2011 at 11:32 am
Thousands of Earthquakes Hit the US Each Year (and Not Just California)
Gavin Hayes, PhD
United States Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center
Major earthquakes in Haiti and Chile this year left hundreds of thousands of people homeless, injured or dead.
Virtually ignored amid news of these disasters was a much smaller earthquake in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma quake was thousands of times less powerful than the ones that struck Haiti and Chile, and it caused no serious injuries.
Yet it, too, offers a powerful warning — earthquakes can affect many parts of the US.
Major earthquakes are rare across much of the US, but in some ways, this rarity increases the danger.
In regions where major earthquakes are possible but not common, many buildings are not constructed to withstand severe shaking… and many residents know little about earthquake safety.
AMERICA AT RISK
In addition to California, US regions known to be at risk for major earthquakes include…
Western Oregon and western Washington State.
The greater Mississippi River region from northern Mississippi up to southern Illinois.
Eastern South Carolina.
Nevada, particularly in the western part of the state.
Utah, western Wyoming, western Montana and eastern and central Idaho.
Much of Alaska.
Big Island of Hawaii.
Many other regions have lesser but still significant earthquake risks, including northeastern New York State, the North Carolina/Tennessee border area and parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, New Hampshire and Oklahoma.
For maps detailing earthquake risk areas, go to http://www.Earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards.
STAYING SAFE DURING AN EARTHQUAKE
If you are indoors…
Take cover under a table, desk or another piece of sturdy furniture. If such furniture is not available, drop to your knees and cover your head with your arms.
Select a spot that is not near windows… exterior walls… a masonry chimney… heavy upright furniture, such as a bookshelf or china cabinet… or below anything heavy or made of glass that’s hung from a wall or ceiling.
Stand in an interior doorway during a quake only if you are in an older brick or adobe building.
Doorways often are the strongest part of older brick and adobe structures. Doorways offer no safety benefits in most other buildings.
Do not attempt to exit a building during a quake. The risk of being struck and badly injured by falling window glass or other debris while exiting exceeds the risk that you will be injured if you take cover inside.
What to do if an earthquake strikes while you are…
In bed. Remain in the bed and protect yourself as best you can with your covers, pillows and arms.
Outside. Move to an open area away from power lines and buildings. Stay away from chimneys.
In an office building. Get under the nearest desk. Steer clear of file cabinets, which can topple… and plate-glass windows, which can shatter.
In your car. Pull over to the side of the road, park and engage the parking brake.
Ideally, avoid parking on or under overpasses, near heavy highway signs or light posts, or in areas where the road has been cut into a hillside — quakes often cause falling rocks.
Warning: If a power line falls on or near your vehicle during an earthquake, remain inside the vehicle until emergency crews arrive to help, even if this takes hours.
If the wires are live, the current typically travels along the outer shell of your vehicle, leaving you safe inside — but you could be electrocuted if you attempt to get out.
WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER A QUAKE
Aftershocks tend to be most frequent in the hours and days immediately following an earthquake but can continue for weeks after the quake.
If you smell smoke, see fire or the building you are in is damaged structurally, account for everyone who was in the building, then exit quickly.
If there is no fire and the building seems sound, conduct a quick building inspection…
If you smell gas or see damage to a gas line, shut off the gas.
If there’s any reason to believe that the home’s wiring has been damaged, switch off the electricity.
Never linger near the exterior of a building following an earthquake — an aftershock could cause falling debris.
Check on your neighbors. Emergency crews often are overwhelmed following major earthquakes. It’s up to neighbors to help one another.
Do not shout for help (unless you hear voices nearby) if you are badly injured, trapped under furniture or trapped in a collapsed building.
Instead, bang a piece of debris against something metal if these things are within reach. This banging sound will carry farther, and unlike shouting, it will not quickly deplete your energy or fill your lungs with the thick dust that clouds the air after a building collapse.
TSUNAMI WARNING
If you live at a low elevation and within a few miles of the coast, a tsunami warning might follow an offshore earthquake.
Listen to emergency radio broadcasts for guidance. Follow marked emergency evacuation routes inland or seek higher ground if so advised.
The regions at greatest risk for a tsunami in the US include the coasts of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii.
PREPARING FOR EARTHQUAKES
There are simple, inexpensive steps that anyone living in an earthquake region should consider…
Relocate heavy or glass items currently hung above beds and frequently used seats. These include mirrors and artwork framed under glass. Secure heavy furniture to a wall.
Reposition your bed if it currently is located very near a masonry chimney. The chimney might be hidden behind wallboards on upper floors.
Have rigid gas lines replaced with flexible lines, and have your gas water heater strapped to the wall.
Purchase and plug in emergency lights that turn on automatically when the power goes out.
Get to know your neighbors, particularly if you are elderly or disabled and could have trouble getting out of your home after an earthquake.
Put together an emergency kit including bottled water… flashlights… extra batteries… a battery- or crank-powered radio… canned food… several days’ supply of medications… and a fire extinguisher.
Select a meeting point for your family to gather if you are separated.
Personal interviewed Gavin Hayes, PhD, a research seismologist with the United States Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center (USGS/NEIC), Denver.
The NEIC is the US government’s data center and archive for earthquake information. Dr. Hayes specializes in earthquake research and real-time response to large earthquakes. http://www.Earthquake.usgs.gov
January 21st, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Today we were reminded how dangerous it is to be time traveling in america as an OTW. It’s 1927 and we are in Harlem.
Adam went with Bita to see the famous Cotton club on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. They got caught in a police sweep out to pick up some “Cotton Club Tail.” That is a term white policemen in Harlem used when they went out to kidnap and rape tan or very light complexioned black girls.
I emphasize “girls” because the victims were usually 12 to 16. Since blacks couldn’t testify against whites in a court of law, the police ran a reign of terror on the population. The police raped black women at will. This time they grabbed Bita as she was being refused entry to the Cotton Club because she was not white.
Adam who is also a non white. had stopped to “recon”(his words) with the locals and Bita had gone on by herself. Her Alert alarm, “help” level activated was received by me and Adam simultaneously.
Long story short – We located and beamed up the patrol wagon with three black girls and Bita and six policemen. Since they had raped Bita, Adam gave me absolute control over their destiny. They will live a very long time. Way past their normal life spans.
AH