HSBC parliamentary commission of inquiry wants to hear from the whistleblower of the secret accounts scandal.
Without an official list of names of Brazilians with secret accounts abroad, the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) approved a request authored by Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Psol-AP) to hear testimony from former HSBC software engineer Hervé Falciani, responsible for leaking the information; he may be questioned in Brazil or France.
Karine Melo, Reporter for Agência Brasil - The lack of official information about secret accounts held by Brazilians at HSBC bank in Switzerland is hindering the work of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) on HSBC. Despite appeals made by senators to local and French authorities to share documents detailing the list of approximately 8,7 Brazilian account holders with the commission, this has not yet happened.
According to the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry, Senator Ricardo Ferraço (PMDB-ES), the information should be sent by the French Public Prosecutor's Office to the Brazilian Public Prosecutor's Office with a "confidentiality clause".
"This puts us in a gray area and calls into question the very existence of this Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry," assessed rapporteur Ricardo Ferraço.
Since France has already shared information with at least 19 countries, including the United States, Spain, and Argentina, lawmakers believed they would have no difficulty accessing it.
"This Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry is facing a decision: it's either going to work or it's going to fail. We can no longer continue treating this matter as if everything is going well, because we have deadlines, we have responsibilities, and the information isn't arriving. Everything is going very well, but we don't have the raw material to work with," complained Ferraço.
Given the difficulties, a request authored by Senator Randolfe Rodrigues (Psol-AP) was approved today (30) for the Commission to hear former HSBC software engineer Hervé Falciani, responsible for leaking the information, in the CPI. Even with the approval of the request, the possibility of Falciani being heard in France is not ruled out.
"If we don't have a path for investigation, he ends up becoming a source. Therefore, my request is for us to conduct an investigation in Paris to hear from Mr. Hervé Falciani, based on the information he is willing to provide. Or, if he feels safe enough to do so, and if the Brazilian government can provide those conditions of security, he could come to the CPI to testify," explained Randolfe, who considers hearing from the whistleblower of the scandal fundamental for the commission.