Swiss open new probe against 'WikiLeaks banker'

GENEVA: Swiss police have arrested a banker who claims to have handed details of rich tax cheats to WikiLeaks, prosecutors said Thursday.

Rudolf Elmer was arrested late Wednesday, shortly after a Zurich court found him guilty of coercion and breaking Switzerland's strict bank secrecy laws in an earlier case. His home was also searched.

``He is in police detention and will be questioned today,'' Zurich chief prosecutor Peter Pellegrini told The Associated Press.

Prosecutors will have to decide by Friday whether to request Elmer's continued detention until the investigation is completed, he said.

Pellegrini said the new probe centers on Elmer's trip to London on Monday, at which the former Julius Baer banker gave two data CDs allegedly containing account details of rich tax evaders to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The secrecy-spilling website has said it will examine the data before publishing any of it.

Elmer says he is trying to expose a widespread system of tax evasion by rich businesspeople and politicians using offshore branches of Swiss banks.

In the earlier case, Elmer was handed a fine of over 6,000 Swiss francs ($6,260), payable if he offends again in the next two years.