New Delhi: The information that Herve Falciani leaked while he was still an employee of HSBC in Geneva included secret accounts that were allegedly being used by Belgian companies trading in blood diamonds, which are mined and sold to fund insurgencies, often by warlords. ('India has Less Than 1% Info on Black Money, Lots More I Can Offer':Herve Falciani)
"There are a lot of blood diamonds related to HSBC and that will interest India," Mr Falciani said in an exclusive interview to NDTV in his home country of France.
Mr Falciani, who is now 42, left HSBC with secret client information in 2006 and after being ignored for two years, his data was finally accepted as legitimate by French authorities. He was soon co-opted by other countries including Belgium, US, Spain and, more recently, Argentina, to help with expansive investigations to trace tax evaders who have hidden money via Swiss private banks.
Antwerp is the world's diamond capital; in the last few decades, Indians, many of them Gujaratis, have set up trading firms in the city.
Falciani says these traders have strong links with India and information he has on them can help Indian investigators join the dots on black money. A commission appointed by the Supreme Court in India to look at how to recover black money has also identified the diamond trade as a "hotspot" for undeclared and untaxed money stashed abroad.
Belgian prosecutors say HSBC in Switzerland actively sought out diamond dealers to send untaxed wealth to offshore accounts. On Monday, the Belgian government charged HSBC in Switzerland with organised fraud and criminal activities related to money-laundering.
Mr. Falciani hinted that there could be information on individuals in Belgium and France that Indian investigators could use.
On the original list of bank accounts that were leaked by Mr Falciani were the names of several diamond traders and also hundreds of Indians.
"There are a lot of blood diamonds related to HSBC and that will interest India," Mr Falciani said in an exclusive interview to NDTV in his home country of France.
Antwerp is the world's diamond capital; in the last few decades, Indians, many of them Gujaratis, have set up trading firms in the city.
Advertisement
Belgian prosecutors say HSBC in Switzerland actively sought out diamond dealers to send untaxed wealth to offshore accounts. On Monday, the Belgian government charged HSBC in Switzerland with organised fraud and criminal activities related to money-laundering.
Advertisement
On the original list of bank accounts that were leaked by Mr Falciani were the names of several diamond traders and also hundreds of Indians.
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Spain Judge To Decide Whether To Release HSBC "Swiss Leaks" Whistleblower Kashmir, Kashmiris, Kashmiriyat Belong To India: Home Minister Rajnath Singh 706-Carat Diamond Unearthed By Pastor In Sierra Leone 25,000 Aspirants For Airport Jobs Paying Rs 22,000: A Mumbai Stampede Scare Siddaramaiah Deletes Post On 100% Quota Bill, Karnataka Minister Clarifies Prank Goes Wrong: Woman Falls From 3rd Floor In Mumbai Building, Dies When Oberoi Hotel Denied Late Check-Out to Billionaire Michael Dell Huge Fire At Gulati Restaurant In Delhi's Pandara Road, No Casualty "This Is The Final Straw": Elon Musk Moving X And SpaceX Out Of California Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.