Swiss ex-banker hands files to WikiLeaks (VIDEO)

A former Swiss banker has passed on data containing account details of 2,000 bank clients suspected of tax evasion to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The details, however, have not yet been released by the WikiLeaks website.

The Swiss whistleblower Rudolf Elmer handed over two CDs containing the data to the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, in London late on Sunday.

According to a report in Swiss newspaper Der Sonntag, the data covers multinationals, financial firms and wealthy individuals from many countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany, and covers the period 1990 to 2009.

Rudolf M. Elmer, who ran the Caribbean operations of the Swiss bank Julius Baer for eight years until he was dismissed in 2002, has previously offered files to WikiLeaks on financial activities in the Cayman Islands and faces a court hearing in Zurich on Wednesday to answer charges of violating Switzerland's strict banking secrecy laws.

"I do think as a banker I have the right to stand up if something is wrong," said Elmer, who addressed reporters at London's Frontline Club alongside WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, according to the Associated Press.

"I am against the system. I know how the system works and I know the day-to-day business. From that point of view, I wanted to let society know what I know. It is damaging our society," he said.

Assange praised the ex-banker's attempts to expose alleged shady practices in the financial industry. He was making a rare public appearances since he was released on bail on Dec. 16 following his arrest on a Swedish extradition warrant.

Elmer, who said he wanted to expose the "mass tax evasion" before the start of his own trial, said he would not name the individuals or companies involved, though he said they included some 40 politicians, as well as businessmen and multinational conglomerates from "all over."

Handing over the information to WikiLeaks was his "last hope," he said.

"I do think as a banker I have the right to stand up if something is wrong," he said. "I am against the system. I know how the system works and I know the day-to-day business. From that point of view, I wanted to let society know what I know. It is damaging our society."

Elmer was fired from Julius Bear because of his earlier revelations, which he said showed evidence of major tax avoidance in the Caribbean.

In a press conference, Assange said: "I understand he is in a position to have more to say and more to give to the world to help them understand the sort of corrupt practices that we saw in that Cayman Islands operation — clear asset hiding from around the rest of the world."