The disclosure of leaked HSBC documents revealing how the Swiss branch of the banking multinational facilitated some of its wealthy clients, including several Greek citizens, to conceal millions in assets, caused global uproar last month.
The confidential files, obtained through an international media collaboration, revealed that the banking giant had set up an international tax evasion system through its Swiss subsidiary, essentially advising well-heeled customers on how to circumvent domestic tax authorities and conceal millions of dollars.
According to Ta Nea newspaper, the Greek 2148 bank clients mentioned in the files include artists, former military officers, judges, farmers and housewives.
Overall, the files cover 28 categories of clients.
The occupational category with the most lucrative accounts are senior executives (67 accounts with a total balance of 236 million dollars), followed by the retirees (82 accounts with a total balance of 225 million dollars) and the shipowners (45 accounts with a total balance of 217 million dollars).
Government employees in the broader public sector (University professors, municipal employees, former executives of the PPC) held overall 34 accounts, 20 of which had zero balance. The remaining 14 held accounts with a total balance of more than 8.2 million dollars. What is even more peculiar is that 3 minors also held accounts with HSBC, with a total balance of 2.8 million dollars.
