We’ll take the money but not the passport – what the HSBC Swiss leaks reveal about Africa’s high rollers

Published: 12/Feb/2015
Source: Mail & Guardian Africa

Stolen computer files with more than 100,000 names, nationalities, account information and detailed notes between the Swiss arm of Europe’s biggest bank HSBC and its clients have been revealed, and along with them, a lot of dirty laundry.

The disclosure, now dubbed “Swiss Leaks”, is the biggest such exposure in Swiss banking history. It started when a computer security specialist named Hervé Falciani stole a huge cache of data in 2007 and gave it to the French government.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, obtained the leaked files and have created a database which has given the world a rare glimpse into the secretive world of Swiss banking.

Read more.

Themes: Dual Nationality, Identity Documents
Regions: Pan Africa
Year: 2015