Switzerland raises legal issues on list of illegal bank a/c holders

New Delhi, Jul 18: Swiss authorities have raised some legal issues after India wrote to them for providing a list of illegal bank account holders in Switzerland, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday.

Jaitley gave this information in the Lok Sabha while asserting that Government was making all efforts to procure the list of the illegal bank account holders in Switzerland and that it was collecting evidence in this regard.

He also said that India was in the process of communicating with the Swiss authorities and enter into an agreement which was in the best interest of the country within the parameters of Swiss laws.

The Minister told the House that Swiss authorities have raised some legal issues after India sought the list. "We are in the process of communication with the Swiss authorities, and whatever is the best agreement, within the parameters of their law, we are going to enter into," he said replying to a supplementary on illegal Swiss bank accounts.

Jaitley said the treaty between India and Switzerland on sharing of information on illegal bank account holders was of future and prospective in nature and that is why the European country was not cooperating on the previous lists of such account holders.

"The treaty between India and Switzerland is that of the future and prospective in nature and that is why they will not cooperate on the names previously given.

"But we will make all effort with the Swiss authority in this regard. Indian government is taking all efforts to get evidence required to support the list," he said.

Jaitley said India had received a list of 700 illegal Swiss bank account holders, which was procured from the French government on the precondition that the names would not be made public.

India had earlier received another such list from Liechtenstein bank following which the government had initiated the process of identifying Indians, he said. Income tax and criminal proceedings have been initiated against all such persons identified, Jaitley said.

PTI