Switzerland discloses more requests from India on Masoods

Continuing to shed its famed banking secrecy veil, Switzerland today made public more names about which it has been approached from abroad for information, even as it published fresh gazette 

notifications about two Indians –Sayed Mohammed Masood and Chand <g data-gr-id="24">Kauser</g> Mohammed Masood.

Switzerland has already shared some details with India about the two earlier, but their names figured again in two fresh notifications published today in Switzerland’s official gazette about “mutual assistance” sought from the foreign governments in tax matters.

These notifications also mentioned a Bahamas-based entity Wharf Limited, presumably linked to the Masoods who are being probed for a long time for a major <g data-gr-id="20">ponzi</g> scheme run from Mumbai through City Limousines.

Some of their Swiss accounts were also frozen a few years ago following a request from the Enforcement Directorate. Attempts to contact <g data-gr-id="21">Masoods</g> did not yield any results. The other names made public in today’s gazette included that of persons from Panama, Germany and the US.

These names are being published in Switzerland’s official gazette pursuant to information requests received by the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA) from the foreign countries.

So far, the names of seven ‘Indian nationals’ have been published, while the gazette has now made public the names of six entities based in foreign locations for which the tax authorities from India have sought information.