Attorneys for Howard Wilkinson, the whistleblower who discovered and revealed the 235 plus billion dollars of Russian money laundering scandal at Denmark’s Danske Bank are demanding that steps be taken to protect him from retaliation. An Estonian newspaper last week identified him as the whistleblower an act which his lawyer say was illegal. Both Estonia and Denmark have signed international treaties to support whistleblowers and protect their identities. In addition, his counsel is fearful that harm might befall Mr. Wilkinson from the Russian entities which participated in the money laundering.
Danske Bank has admitted, after an internal investigation, that some 200 billion euros flowing through its accounts were suspicious. Its CEO resigned. It is still not presently clear who in Russia moved the $235 Billion through the bank. Denmark’s financial regulator reopened a probe that it had closed in May and the top prosecution authority opened a criminal investigation.
The Danish paper Berlingske, which received an email from him after he was named in Estonian media, reports that Wilkinson is a British citizen who headed Danske Bank’s trading unit in the Baltics.
The Department of Justice is presently investigating the bank’s activities concerning the moneys laundered.
