HSBC Tax Evasion Investigation

How far is too far when it comes to helping a client?

For the bank HSBC they may have been offering one helping hand too many.

An investigation by the International Committee of Investigative Journalists says that the global banking giant, profited from doing business with arms dealers, traffickers in blood diamonds and what it calls other international outlaws.

The BBC has been looking into the British aspect of the case, and found evidence that the bank's private banking arm, based in Switzerland, had helped customers evade millions of dollars in tax.

Gerard Ryle, who's Director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, told us about the global findings.

News of HSBC's actions has struck a chord the world over. Many of the banks clients implicated in investigation are based in other countries, including Egypt, Russia and India. Amongst them are celebrities and politicians.

Stephen Platt, advises businesses and governments and the World Bank on issues of financial crime. He told us that from an industry-wide perspective, he's not surprised by the revelations.