Swiss say Austrian tax evasion whistleblower killed himself
An Austrian tax evasion whistle-blower who was found dead in a jail cell in Switzerland hanged himself, it has been announced.Swiss officials said today (Thurs) an autopsy has shown that Wolfgang U. committed suicide by hanging himself with a TV cable. They also said that he left a farewell note, but refused to reveal what it said.The 42-year-old was found dead in his cell in a prison in the Swiss city of Bern last month. Swiss officials reportedly accused him of helping an employee of the countrys financial authorities to provide Germany with information on hundreds of tax dodgers.The data disc the pair passed on to German prosecutors reportedly contained information about more than 2,000 Germans who stashed vast amounts of their fortune in Swiss accounts to evade paying taxes in their homeland. The federal German government and provincial decision-makers transferred 2.5 million Euros to the informer to get hold of the top secret information.Dozens of wealthy Germans got cold feet after the deal was made public earlier this year and decided to hand themselves in. Reports have it many of those who confessed to tax evasion to escape charges were not mentioned on the data disc.Friends and family of the dead Tyrolean still doubt that he decided to end his life.”I met him two days before he was found dead,” one unnamed pal told Austrian newspapers. The man added: “He was cool, relaxed and full of drive as always. I cant believe he killed himself. That doesnt make any sense.”