Stolen data spurs tax probes

A sweeping tax-evasion probe roiling Germany and threatening to spread to other countries was sparked by bank client data allegedly stolen by a former Liechtenstein bank employee now believed to be in Australia, according to authorities in the small alpine principality.

Heinrich Kieber, a former employee of Liechtenstein's largest bank, LGT Group, has offered confidential client data to tax authorities on several continents over the past 18 months, including the U.S., according to a person familiar with the matter. Such disclosures could undermine Liechtenstein's reputation as a reliable and discreet tax haven for rich foreigners.