American senators Carl Levin and John McCain have urged the Department of Justice (DoJ) to seek extradition of about 50 Swiss bankers and financial advisers who have been criminally charged with aiding and abetting offshore tax evasion.
In an open letter deputy attorney general James Cole, the senators wrote that the department should "at least attempt to use" powers under an extradition treaty with the Swiss.
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The extradition treaty "does not bar the extradition of Swiss nationals who assisted US nationals in the commission of criminal tax evasion, and it is time to test the Swiss government’s professed willingness to cooperate with international tax enforcement efforts," the duo heading the US Senate’s permanent subcommittee on investigations wrote.
While an article of the extradition treaty gives the Swiss government discretion in denying US extradition requests related to tax offences, "that discretion is limited", their letter says.
In response to the letter, Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Pierce said: "We have limited resources, and we are focused on using our most effective tools."
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