Leaked data from one of the world’s largest private banks, Credit Suisse, has exposed the accounts of clients alleged to have been involved in torture, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes. That writing The New York Times and The Guardianwho have the leaked data.
The data refers to open accounts from the 1940s well into the 2010s, but does not cover the bank’s current operations.
The leak reveals accounts of some 18,000 Credit Suisse customers around the world. Those accounts held a total of more than 100 billion Swiss francs (about 96 billion euros). According to the papers reporting the case, the leaked data points to a widespread lack of due diligence by Credit Suisse in customer due diligence, despite repeated commitments over decades to remove dubious customers and illicit funds.
These include a human trafficker in the Philippines, a Hong Kong stockbroker who has been convicted of bribery, a billionaire who ordered the murder of his Lebanese girlfriend and executives who looted Venezuela’s state oil company. Corrupt politicians from countries such as Egypt and Ukraine also banked at Credit Suisse.
Shortly after the initial media reports were released, Credit Suisse said it “strongly rejects the allegations and innuendo about the bank’s alleged business practices”. According to the bank, the messages are based on “partial, inaccurate or selective information that has been taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the bank’s behavior”.
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