Herve Falciani wants protection from Indian Govt.
By Dileep Thekkethil
An HSBC whistleblower, Herve Falciani, has revealed that despite the government’s claim of doing everything needed to bring back unaccounted money back from foreign banks, millions of crores worth of black money is still getting credited to accounts handled by Indians.
According to Falciani, he is willing to cooperate with the Indian government in booking people who have stocked black money, if they give protection.
Falciani is currently facing charges in Switzerland for allegedly leaking out information about the account holders in HSBC Geneva branch. This list was handed over to the French government and later to India, which helped in knowing at least a few big Indian names who have been the clients of the bank.
While addressing media via Skype from an unidentified location, Falciani revealed that, even now, millions of crores of illicit money is getting deposited into accounts managed by Indians.
When quizzed by media persons whether he is doing all this for monetary gain, Falciani said, “It is not about money. I don’t intend to become rich.”
He also added that “We are not here to talk about merely figures but about possible solutions,” Falciani said.
While announcing his readiness to cooperate with the Indian government in finding out names and in possibly finding a permanent solution, Falciani said all that the whistleblowers need is “simple protection.”
He also reiterated that if he is not given adequate protection, he is not going to help nor going to land in India.
“We are not protected… If I am coming to India, I will be arrested,” he said.
The finance ministry had in February this year said that the Income Tax department is already in touch with Falciani. This was after the government accessed the list of Indian account holders in Geneva branch of HSBC.