• Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
The Truth at Any Cost.
Qui Tam, Compliance and Anti-Corruption News.
SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
Whistleblower Network News
  • Qui Tam
  • SEC
  • CFTC
  • FCPA
  • Whistleblower Resources
  • FAQS
Subscribe
Donate
No Result
View All Result
Whistleblower Network News
No Result
View All Result
Home Corporate IRS & Tax

Sounding the Alarm: U.S. Whistleblower’s Involvement in French UBS Investigation

WNN StaffbyWNN Staff
February 25, 2016
in IRS & Tax, News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Sounding the Alarm:  U.S. Whistleblower’s Involvement in French UBS Investigation
Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInEmail

This past Saturday, February 20, 2016, Le Parisien/Aujourd’hui en France revealed the contents of an internal UBS memo that discussed “navigating below the radar screen” to grow its business by enticing French clients to hide their money in Swiss bank accounts. The memo indicates that “UBS was perfectly aware of the risk” of its illegal practices.

Bradley Birkenfeld, the whistleblower (“lanceur d’alerte”) who originally reported UBS to U.S. authorities, brought this memo to the attention of Le Parisien. Since 2012, UBS has been the subject of a French investigation for tax fraud and money laundering. Mr. Birkenfeld’s testimony is “at the heart of the French investigation.”

In 2007, Mr. Birkenfeld* blew the whistle on the $20 billion program run by UBS designed to recruit wealthy Americans and assist them in evading U.S. taxes. UBS ultimately had to pay the U.S. government $780 million in 2009 to avoid criminal prosecution, and turn over account information for 4,500 American clients. The Internal Revenue Service awarded Mr. Birkenfeld $104 million for reporting the tax fraud. However, the U.S. government imprisoned Mr. Birkenfeld for his involvement in the scheme. 

Support Whistleblower Network News

Le Parisien also conducted a brief interview with Mr. Birkenfeld this past weekend, in which he reiterated his willingness to meet with French Finance Minister Michel Sapin. Further, Mr. Birkenfeld expressed his hope that the mentality towards whistleblowers in Europe would change, and that whistleblowers would be respected and rewarded for doing the right thing. He advocated that awards are a matter of “public policy,” designed to help encourage whistleblowers who are intimidated, and to incentive them—if awards are available, whistleblowers know that they will be compensated if they uncover and expose fraud.

In the interview with Le Parisien, Mr. Birkenfeld was asked about Raoul Weil, who led UBS’s Wealth Management International unit but claims he was unaware of the illegal actions that occurred. Birkenfeld commented, “That’s like Santa Claus [saying] that he doesn’t know about Christmas.”

When asked what U.S. judges have done in the past few years regarding the case, Mr. Birkenfeld answered, “Nothing. They did not even call me to testify at Raoul Weil’s trial in Florida. [And yet] a month later, the French judge met with me and listened to me for ten hours.” In the U.S., Mr. Birkenfeld—without whom this fraud would have never been discovered—received jail time, while Mr. Weil was found innocent. Mr. Birkenfeld is confident in France’s justice system, “In France, today, Raoul Weil is indicted and a 200,000 Euro bond has been ordered.”

Mr. Birkenfeld hopes that his involvement in the case will help the French government bring UBS to justice, and pave the way for other European whistleblowers to report fraud.

Birkenfeld also recently informed Le Monde that there is no law that obligates UBS to verify that its clients fulfill their financial obligations in their country of residence. According to Mr. Birkenfeld, It’s the equivalent of “buying a pistol, giving it to someone and saying: I don’t know if you’re going to kill someone, but I’m giving you a pistol.”

*The National Whistleblower Center supported Mr. Birkendfeld in his efforts to expose $20 billion tax evasion scheme.

Tags: Bradley BirkenfeldIRS & TaxSwiss BankingTax WhistleblowersUBSWhistleblower Rewards
Previous Post

IRS Whistleblower Program Continues Improvements

Next Post

National Whistleblower Center Joins World Wildlife Day Movement

WNN Staff

WNN Staff

Next Post
National Whistleblower Center Joins World Wildlife Day Movement

National Whistleblower Center Joins World Wildlife Day Movement

Please login to join discussion

Receive Daily Alerts

Subscribe to receive daily breaking news and legislative developments sent to your inbox.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Most Popular

US Attorneys Reflect on UK’s Whistleblowing Awareness Week

OSHA Highlights Railroad Worker Whistleblower Protections in Wake of Train Derailments

AML Whistleblower Law Could Shift the Way DOJ Handles Whistleblowers

Two Powerful Women Whistleblower Pairs to Learn From This Women’s History Month

WNN Exclusive Interview with Social Security Whistleblowers Sarah Carver and Jennifer Griffith — Part 2

Change the Culture, Make National Whistleblower Day Permanent

Whistleblower Poll

Whistleblower Poll
Whistleblower Poll

Exclusive Marist Poll: Overwhelming Public Support Among Likely Voters For Increased Whistleblower Protections

byGeoff Schweller
October 6, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

STAY INFORMED.
Subscribe to receive breaking whistleblower updates.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

About Us

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Careers

Subscribe

  • Daily Mail
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • YouTube Channel

Contribute

  • Letter to the Editor
  • Submission Guidelines
  • Reprint Guidelines

Your Experience

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Help

  • The Whistleblowers Handbook
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Advertise
Whistleblower Network News

Whistleblower Network News is an independent online newspaper providing our readers with up-to-date information on whistleblowing. Our goal is to be the best source of information on important qui tam, anti-corruption, compliance, and whistleblower law developments. 

Submit an Article

Copyright © 2021, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

This Newspaper/Web Site is made available by the publisher for educational purposes only as well as to give you general information and a general understanding of the law, not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the Newspaper/Web Site publisher. The Newspaper/Web Site should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state.

SIGN THE PETITION FOR NATIONAL WHISTLEBLOWER DAY IN 2023
No Result
View All Result
  • Exclusives
  • Government
    • False Claims-Qui Tam
    • Federal Employees
    • Intelligence
  • Corporate
    • CFTC & Commodities
    • Dodd-Frank
    • IRS & Tax
    • SEC & Securities
  • Features
  • Legislation
  • International
    • Foreign Corruption
  • Rewards
  • Whistleblower of the Week
  • Environment & Climate
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Employment
    • Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblowers
    • Retaliation
    • OSHA
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • National Whistleblower Day
  • Whistleblower Poll
  • Whistleblower Resources
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Resources for Locating An Attorney
    • The New Whistleblowers Handbook
  • National Whistleblower Day ’23

Copyright © 2020, Whistleblower Network News. All Rights Reserved.

Become a Whistleblower Network News Subscriber

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Subscribe to WNN

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Subscribe to WNN

Add New Playlist

Go to mobile version