OFFSHORE - ELMER AND THE SWISS BANK SECRECY

"ELMER and the End of Banking Secrecy" tells the story of a man who experiences a remarkable career in a Swiss private bank. At the height of his career, he gets into a conflict of conscience that eventually turns him into a whistleblower and critic of offshore banking.Rudolf Elmer was charged by the bank with violating banking secrecy. The Swiss judiciary and the bank as prosecutor are mercilessly proceeding against this "fouler of the nest" - and almost all Swiss media as well. For Elmer is unpleasant - he is a key witness who concretely describes the mechanisms of offshore banking from his own experience. At a time when Swiss banking secrecy is being softened and dissolved under international pressure, an employee is on trial for violating banking secrecy that can no longer be maintained.Rudolf Elmer, son of a working-class family from Zurich's Kreis 5 industrial district, works his way up from auditor to Chief Operating Officer (COO) at the internationally renowned Zurich private bank Julius Baer. As the bank's confidant, he is sent to its offshore branch in the tax haven of the Cayman Islands. But the pedantically precise Elmer with his auditor's mind discovers dubious methods, accounts and clients. He asks critical questions and comes into conflict with the team and the bank. Finally, Elmer is also dropped by the parent company in Zurich. But Elmer, in possession of sensitive client data proving the bank's dubious business model in the Caymans, takes up the fight against the overpowering opponent and leaks the information to the public via WikiLeaks after Swiss authorities refused to investigate the data.Bank Julius Baer intimidates Elmer and his family with private detectives; Elmer is arrested and charged with violating banking secrecy. But there is still no legally valid conviction. On the contrary, the Supreme Court refused to pass judgement and sent the case back to the public prosecutor's office after six years of investigation. Elmer, who has so far spent 220 days in pre-trial detention, is fighting for the restoration of his honour. "ELMER and the End of Banking Secrecy", however, not only tells the sometimes dramatic story of a lone fighter, but also provides direct insight into the history and function of offshore financial centres, the Swiss banking system and its strong social and political roots in the Swiss establishment. Ruedi Elmer's story is topical: he will have to face many trials, hearings and proceedings in the coming months. In the best case, there will be dismissal decisions and perhaps also reparations, in the worst case, further prison sentences. The initial situation is exciting: At a time when the legendary Swiss banking secrecy is coming to an end, will the little Swiss banker who listened to his conscience be convicted of violating this very secrecy? Ruedi Elmer will go down in Swiss history.