Swiss cut off bank account for WikiLeaks' Assange

[Turborama]

Source: AP

GENEVA (AP) — The Swiss postal system stripped WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange of a key fundraising tool Monday, accusing him of lying and immediately shutting down one of his bank accounts.

The swift action by Postfinance, the financial arm of Swiss Post, came after it determined the "Australian citizen provided false information regarding his place of residence during the account opening process."

Assange had told Postfinance he lived in Geneva but could offer no proof that he was a Swiss resident, a requirement of opening such an account.

Postfinance spokesman Alex Josty told The Associated Press the account was closed Monday afternoon and there would be "no criminal consequences" for misleading authorities. "That's his money, he will get his money back," Josty said. "We just close the account and that's it."

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gXMx4nWkMrO0sOich07yheNxLw6w?docId=91ae98d274de4b2a920fc4cdea133f71

[KansDem]

1. So much for "innocent until proven guilty"

PayPal cuts him loose, now the Swiss postal system.

And he hasn't even been charged yet!

Too bad these entities haven't passed judgment on George "Who's Valerie?" Bush yet...

[TorchTheWitch]

28. no - HE was proven to be in violation

PayPal cut off Wikileaks because they violated the TOS. This bank closed his account because he lied about his address when he opened the account. This has nothing to do with "innocent until proven guilty", he was found to be guilty and faced the inevitable consequences.

People do little cheats like this all the time and fly under the radar until someone blows the whistle on them. Wikileaks is paying the price now for not being more careful in protecting their money stream.

As for the post office box, I don't see a legitimate reason for that to be closed, but not all of these incidents are for illigitimate reasons as is the case for both PayPal and the bank account.

[KansDem]

32. "HE was proven to be in violation"

How was it determined he was in violation? Did PalPay believe he violated the TOS? What criminal acts did he engage in? Care to elaborate?

You remind me of a fellow who once served on a jury with me. Child neglect case: the defendant didn't pay child support because he said he hadn't worked. Although the DA offered no evidence the defendant had worked: no W2s, no 1040s, no witnesses who had worked alongside him, he was determined to find the defendant "guilty" because he knew "his type." :wtf:

Oh, Assange is being tried in the court of public opinion with viewers as the jurors and the media as the judge, no doubt about that. But what "crimes" has he committed?

[villager]

2. this whole episode is certainly revealing how entirely false the notion of Western "freedom"

actually is...

So baldfaced, it may even shake a few apologists out of their usual stupors...

[Deep13]

3. Are these the same folks that laundered gold for the Nazis?

Well, I guess they have to draw the line somewhere.

[russspeakeasy]

7. Deep13 You are right on.....

[Mimosa]

11. Medellin Cartel and Mafia never had their accounts frozen, did they?

Assange is a bigger threat to TPTB.

[snagglepuss]

13. Bang on. nt

[TorchTheWitch]

29. because they were smart enough to protect their money stream

Now really, do you think the mafia used a bank account in the name of Mafia, Inc.? Please. People involved in nefarious dealings are smart enough to create layer upon layer of fronts that they have to keep moving to stay ahead of the feds trying to shut off the income pipeline. Wikileaks should have thought of that. If you're doing something that you know is going to make the heads of the highest people in government explode all over the world you should have the foresight to protect your income stream. Wikileaks was smart enough to protect their product in all manner of clever ways but completely overlooked the money aspect.

[defendandprotect]

4. Obviously, these actions have little or nothing to do with anything but the LEAKS ....!!

US wants it stopped -- and the Swiss are following through --

US out of the picture? hmmm....

[Iggo]

6. No. No. NO!

This is all about sex without a condom!

:crazy:

[Kaleko]

19. Not even that! Assange was accused of having sex with a broken condom.

Seriously. That's the extent of the crime his two Swedish accusers have been able to report to the police.

[Iggo]

22. And there's a warrant from Interpol, AND one from Scotland Yard!

Fucking nuts!

[Kaleko]

23. This unlawful international manhunt reveals exactly what Wikileaks was designed to expose.

An eyeopener for a brainwashed populace that is now forced to slowly wake up.

Apart from being courageous, Assange is a brilliant man and a visionary in more and more people's view.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. they are obviously running scared now - all this attempt at response proves it

also shows how desperate they are - grasping at straws

[suffragette]

8. This happens right after U.S. ambassador gets involved

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Pressure_mounts_on_WikiLeaks_and_Assange.html?cid=28956246

The United States ambassador to Switzerland, Donald Beyer, has also entered the Wikileaks debate. He has warned the Swiss government against granting Assange asylum, which the Australian founder of Wikileaks has said he was considering requesting.

“Switzerland should very carefully consider whether to provide shelter to someone who is on the run from the law,” Beyer told the newspaper Sonntag. The ambassador referred to the arrest warrant for Assange issued by Interpol. He is being sought in Sweden on rape charges.

In an interview with another newspaper, the SonntagsZeitung, Beyer said he had told Swiss government representatives what to expect from the more than 250 cables - held by Wikileaks – sent from the American embassy in Bern to Washington.

Beyer said he assured the Swiss government that US-Swiss relations would remain friendly. “Both sides are aware of how close Switzerland and the US are.”

[defendandprotect]

17. Looks to me more like the US is "on the run from the law" ...

:evilgrin:

[suffragette]

24. Certainly from any accountability or justice

for what has been revealed.

And they're clearly applying as much pressure as they can to keep countries from granting Assange asylum.
The above is one of the few instances where at least part of what was said was reported.
And, of course, that was done in foreign press.


I keep thinking of the song "Under Pressure." They certainly are acting quickly and applying it strongly against Assange and doubly so since he said the Wikileaks in January will expose wrongful bank practices.

[ronnie624]

25. I so desperately want to see those bank documents.

I'm liable to chew my fingernails to the quick, waiting on those. I hope he will be able to release them.

[suffragette]

27. I hope they are able to overcome the attempts to shut them down

and release them as well.

[onehandle]

9. The Swiss standing with the status quo and the corporations it stands for?

Say it ain't so.

[nyy1998]

10. Wow, if even the Swiss are cutting him off, then he's in some really deep s**t nt

[pschoeb]

12. Total lie that he has to be Swiss resident

I went to the Postfinance site, and looked at their pdf on requirement for Private accounts, which is what an account in Julian Assanges name would be. I found no requirement for swiss residency and you can apply online, and when you get to the part with home address, they have a country selector which lists every country in the world. Swiss banks would have no business at all if they required residency.

[ronnie624]

26. Very interesting. Thanks. n/t

[harvey007]

14. Swiss bank freezes WikiLeaks founder’s legal defense fund

Source: The Raw Story

Over €31,000 set aside for the legal defense of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been frozen by the Swiss bank PostFinance, which said that Assange had given false information in creating the account.

Last week, Internet payment leader PayPal also froze a WikiLeaks-linked account containing over $60,000, the site added.

Similarly, when it discovered that its servers were hosting WikiLeaks files, online retailer Amazon.com terminated its relationship with the site.

Critics liken the actions to corporate censorship of important free speech. The same entities have not taken similar actions against media outlets that have covered the disclosures.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/swiss-bank-freezes-wikileaks-founders-legal-defense-fund/

[Dawson Leery]

15. The same Swiss Banks who laundered money for the Nazis.

[defendandprotect]

18. They originated the idea of putting the "J" on passports of Jews ....

and made a fortune lasting to this day on taking in their money and

never giving it back!

[harvey007]

16. Swiss bank freezes WikiLeaks founder’s legal defense fund

This thread has been combined with another thread.

Click here to read this message in its new location.

[kgnu_fan]

20. More time pass, the linkage of power and patterns of collaboration started to emerge

in front of everyone in the world.... they are all exposed to the world about their relationship to the Power of this invisible and dark structure....

[Blue_Tires]

21. FFS, this is going WAY over-the-top...

And the Swiss are setting an interesting precedent for freezing accounts, given some of the peace-loving humanitarians they have given shelter to over the decades...

Last week I joked that someone would eventually link Assange to the 9-11 plot -- Is it REALLY that farfetched to think about now??

[Bo]

30. I AM SHOCKED ...SHOCKED.....POOR BASTARD

BUT KILL 100S OF THOUSANDS INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN ILLEGAL WARS AND YOUR A OK AND LETS NOT FORGET THE SECRET BOMBING OF HOLIDAY IN CAMBODIA,,,,,,LOVE IT!

[Bo]

31. ...but if your a third world butcher.... your just dandy

fuck the swiss.......