Falciani a No Show at Trial That Triggered `Diplomatic Crises'

Nearly seven years after he was questioned by Geneva police about client data stolen from HSBC Holdings Plc, Herve Falciani’s trial started at Switzerland’s top criminal court with a squabble about whether his comments to reporters last week could be used as evidence in his absence.

Falciani, accused of commercial espionage and violation of Swiss banking secrecy, snubbed the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona for a second time on Monday after also failing to appear last month. His lawyer, Marc Henzelin, told the court that he hasn’t been in touch with his client for about two months and can only assume Falciani knew about the trial date.