Rudolf ELMER - the long story short

At the time when Rudolf ELMER, a Swiss national, wanted to advance his career within JB he was unaware and naive to these ongoings. Only after being promoted from Chief Operating Officer to Compliance Officer did he gain sufficient knowledge and become consciously aware of the Trust business being controlled from a distance in Switzerland.

Naturally ELMER wants to understand the business and begins to raise questions and discuss the business with his superiors on the island and also with management in Zurich Head Office He is unsuccessful, the top management refuse to share information with him. However, when Greek journalists publish details about domestic tax refugees, the suspicion immediately falls on Rudolf ELMER, because – he is used as a scapegoat, the trust had written in an interim report – that was regarded as a "critical thinker".

Because a house search does not reveal any evidence for all bank employees, not even for ELMER, everyone has to undergo a lie detector test. In Elmer`s view he was subject to this investigation because it was the perfect opportunity to get rid of a critical thinking person. Therefore, Elmer was forced to undergo these dubious operations. On the advice of his doctor, ELMER did not comply with this demand at first but later succumbed due to the pressure the bank made.

After the lie detector test the bank unexpectedly terminates Rudolf ELMER’S employment. Elmer has serious back problems and is not fit for the test but the bank takes the position Elmer makes up his health problems. Three weeks after the text ELMER, who has undergone surgery on his spine and the back in Switzerland and he does not return to Cayman Islands he receives the termination letter with the reason “lack of trust”.

ELMER's receives and e-mail from an anonymous Yahoo email address in Canada, it instructs him "Reudi, stop talking about JBBT business...». ELMER notices that at least 11 Swiss detectives are assigned to follow him, his wife and his daughter, around the clock.

And another anonymous email arrives: "Stop talking otherwise We will kill you...". This time it is sent from a public phone booth ("Publifon") at Zollikon train station. More emails arrive with further threats "If you talk, we will kill your child...". And: "We will kill your child first, then your wife and then you if you do not stop...". This time dispatched from the village of Wetzikon. The Swiss public prosecutor and police investigations fail to bring anything to light.

For security reasons and in case of imminent hurricanes, on the Cayman island one of ELMER’S tasks included storing regular backups of business transactions at his home or send them to the USA. Because of the unexpected termination, he happens to still have a complete set of data records and decides to hand these over to the Zurich tax authorities.

But everything turns out differently: Rudolf ELMER is suddenly arrested by Swiss police; his apartment is searched. Bank Julius Baer has filed a criminal complaint, trying to put further pressure on ELMER.

ELMER is released and finds a new employer for whom he will work in Mauritius. The investigations in Switzerland continue.

In 2008, ELMER is one of the first to become aware of WikiLeaks and decides to test the platform on February 14, 2008, however, the time has come: attention is being drawn worldwide

• for the documents providing insight into the financial transactions of Julius Baer clients on the Cayman Islands
• and for the new unveiling platform: "Free Speech has a Number: 888013160", reports e.g. the TV station CBS.

The Swiss bank Julius Baer is angry. The Swiss judiciary, which sees itself as the protector of the Swiss banking secrets, is also angry. Both shoot from all angles. Because banking secrecy is beginning to be exposed - now even the USA can't take a joke about rich tax evaders.

While Bank Julius Baer has to pay fines in the hundreds of millions, to the US tax IRS authorities, ELMER has to answer to the Swiss criminal courts on several instances. By blowing the whistle on corruption and exposing tax evasion and wrongdoing, the price Rudolf ELMER's has to pay is high and costs him his nerves, time, money and health.

One of the judges interprets the law and reveals his own understanding of Swiss justice, pronouncing a verdict on Rudolf ELMER, by stating - "You are not a whistleblower, but an ordinary criminal”.

Rudolf ELMER is one of the first to disclose the practices of international tax evasion. His whole story is documented in detail and in German language at www.ansTageslicht.de/Rudolf-Elmer

(JL)