Italians to review stolen HSBC data

Apr 13, 2010 - 16:30
Italians to review stolen HSBC data
French prosecutors will share account data stolen from a Geneva branch of bank HSBC with Italian authorities within the next 20 days.

Eric de Montgolfier, a prosecutor in Nice, on Tuesday said authorities in Turin were interested in the data and had submitted a request seeking help gathering evidence.


The files, taken by a former IT employee around three years ago, allegedly contain information about people hiding assets from tax collectors.

France’s acquisition of the information infuriated Bern and threatened to derail a new double-taxation agreement with France. Paris agreed to give the Swiss copies of the data and to not request help in pursuing any tax cheats based on the stolen information.

In total, the list could contain information on about 127,000 accounts with owners in more than 180 countries, he said. HSBC says the number is much smaller with about 24,000 clients affected.

Britain-based HSBC has since spent upwards of SFr100 million ($94 million) upgrading systems and improving security.


swissinfo.ch and agencies