An unidentified informant is offering to sell the German authorities details of 1,500 individuals who allegedly have untaxed income stashed away in Swiss bank accounts. He gave German tax auditors five sample files to prove the validity of the information which shows that the government is willing to cut the deal. It would not be the first one of its kind. In 2008, Germany purchased data on tax evaders from a bank official based in Liechtenstein. This time the government is willing to pay 2,5 million Euro for the stolen data, hoping for revenues of 200 million from the disclosed evaders. What's next? Probably negotiations with drug dealers, kidnappers and terrorists.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
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Where must we trace the limit? There is a grey area were law and its practice become fuzzy. It is normal that newspapers interview fugitive criminals. It is normal that lawyers defend criminals and are not obliged to tell the truth. It is normal that the police pays informants.
ReplyDeleteThere is a paradox in criminology: the police needs a certain degree of crime, otherwise it wouldn't be able to observe and control it.
We don't know anything about the kidnappings in Iraq... Probably, when German citizens were liberated, there have been payments too!! But noone is speaking about this embarrassing question in Germany, don't they?
After this second impact, tourists will pass Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich without any emotion. They are not interested in filling bank´s safes anymore but in enjoying what Switzerland really has to offer: beautiful nature, the railway system, nice cattle and a jolly flag.
ReplyDeleteImagine the view on thousands of empty bank-safes.