Madrid.A former HSBC employee wanted in Switzerland on allegations of stealing data on tens of thousands of bank accounts came before a Spanish court yesterday for extradition proceedings, arguing he was a whistleblower fighting corruption.
The data caused a sensation in 2010 when it ended up in the hands of tax authorities in France, Italy, Spain and other European countries, which have used it to go after billions of euros in lost taxes.
Switzerland has asked for Herve Falciani, who has Italian and French citizenship, to be extradited to face charges there of violating Swiss banking secrecy laws.
Three judges from Spain's High Court heard testimony from Falciani as well as a French prosecutor, Spanish tax authorities and a government lawyer before adjourning yesterday to consider the case.
They did not hear testimony from Switzerland or HSBC , and officials from both could not immediately be reached for comment. The lawyer for the Spanish state argued against extraditing Falciani. We can't punish people who, when they observe criminal conduct where they work, denounce it to the authorities, Dolores Delgado, state lawyer, told the court.
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