Former Swiss private banker Rudolf Elmer has been re-arrested on suspicion of violating Swiss banking secrecy laws by passing highly confidential banking information to WikiLeaks.
According to the Zurich cantonal police and public prosecutor, new criminal proceedings have been launched to determine whether or not the former banking employee did in fact breach Swiss banking laws by transferring tax data discs to the whistleblowers.
Recently, Elmer publicly handed over two new tax data discs, reportedly containing the names of 2,000 individuals and businesses alleged to have undisclosed assets in Swiss bank accounts to WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.
Although details of the highly confidential banking information have not as yet been revealed, the list is thought to contain the names and account details of prominent politicians, multinationals as well as multimillionaires from the US, the UK, Switzerland and Germany.
The arrest came just hours after Elmer was found guilty by a court in Zurich of a previous banking secrecy offence and of threatening former employees of a Swiss bank. Although Elmer escaped demands for a prison sentence, he was fined CHF7,200 (EUR5,588).
The former Swiss private banker is known to have previously illegally supplied confidential banking information to WikiLeaks back in 2008.
WikiLeaks has confirmed plans to verify the information contained on the two discs before publishing further details.
According to the Zurich cantonal police and public prosecutor, new criminal proceedings have been launched to determine whether or not the former banking employee did in fact breach Swiss banking laws by transferring tax data discs to the whistleblowers.
Recently, Elmer publicly handed over two new tax data discs, reportedly containing the names of 2,000 individuals and businesses alleged to have undisclosed assets in Swiss bank accounts to WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.
Although details of the highly confidential banking information have not as yet been revealed, the list is thought to contain the names and account details of prominent politicians, multinationals as well as multimillionaires from the US, the UK, Switzerland and Germany.
The arrest came just hours after Elmer was found guilty by a court in Zurich of a previous banking secrecy offence and of threatening former employees of a Swiss bank. Although Elmer escaped demands for a prison sentence, he was fined CHF7,200 (EUR5,588).
The former Swiss private banker is known to have previously illegally supplied confidential banking information to WikiLeaks back in 2008.
WikiLeaks has confirmed plans to verify the information contained on the two discs before publishing further details.
