Jersey Finance chief attacks inaccurate media coverage
Wednesday 5th December 2012, 3:00PM GMT.
JERSEY’s good name is being unfairly blackened by the UK media as a haven for the proceeds of crime and tax evasion ‘when that could not be further from the truth’, according to Jersey Finance chief executive Geoff Cook.
And speaking from India, Mr Cook drew parallels to the way the Island was being portrayed to the treatment meted out to Lord McAlpine when he was wrongly named as a suspected paedophile.
Meanwhile, Mr Cook revealed that the British tax authorities already had details about 80% of bank accounts held by UK citizens prior to moves designed to force the Island to hand over information about all UK-based account holders.
Mr Cook also said that it was likely the bulk of the remaining 20% would belong to individuals who were unlikely to be due to pay tax in the UK anyway.
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Jersey Evening Post
If there are parallels with Lord McAlpine’s treatment, I assume Mr Cook will be seeking financial redress as Lord McAlpine, successfully, has. Best of luck with that!!
And if “it was likely the bulk of the remaining 20% would belong to individuals who were unlikely to be due to pay tax in the UK”, there won’t be any problem handing over the info to them will there?
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The fact is that HSBC has problems in the US and elsewhere as well.
Maybe the Jersey branch is all fine and dandy but other offices elsewhere have played fast and loose and that will cast clouds everywhere.
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Err, isn’t that what the media do Geoff, have you not heard of the Leveson Enquiry, did you not read last Saturday’s JEP?
When have the media ever been held up high for accurate reporting, never. They print headlines that sell papers, sometimes they print parts of story to tell it one way.
Crikey Geoff, sometimes they just regurgitate one sided press releases from goverment quangos. You can’t have it both ways I’m afraid you’re going to have to take the rough with the smooth Geoff.
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Geoff Cook
So why does Jersey continue to refuse to agree to automatic exchange of information under the EUSD, which Guernsey and the Isle of Man had no problem with? What are we afraid of that they weren’t?
If we have nothing to hide under the EUSD, then why are we still playing that game?
It’s no wonder that the rest of the world thinks we are crooks.
It’s no different from somebody running away from the police. The logical conclusion is that they must have a reason for doing so.
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Geoff Cook
Where are you? You aren’t normally so slow to respond, although this one question seems to be the one which causes you to behave like a Trappist monk every time if gets asked.
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The Isle of Man has today announced that it is signing up to “Son of FATCA”. Jersey and Guernsey will struggle to avoid following suit.
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I’m amazed that so few people have picked up on this. Probably the biggest challenge that Jersey has faced since the Second World War and no, I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.
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Where does Cook get his facts from??
80% details known to the UK authorities?
Utter rubbish
20% wouldn’t pay tax anyway
Utter rubbish
Seems that he cannot remember what he did at HSBC or prefers not to.
His school that if you say something loud and often makes it true just doesn’t wash anymore
We should remember that his vast salary is paid as part of the PR game and when has the truth got in the way of a good PR story.
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