The Zurich court of appeal has dismissed the appeal of former Julius Baer banker Rudolf Elmer, which challenged the earlier verdict that he is guilty of coercion. 

On 22 January Elmer was convicted by a Swiss court of coercion, and fined SFr7,200 ($7,627). At the time, a statement was put out by the law firm Tethong Blattner, representing him in the case, saying the decision would be appealed.  

Following the dismissal, Elmer is being held in custody, while his defence counsel is “reassessing the court’s ruling and discussing possible further steps,” according to a statement.

The “whistleblower”, who was fired as the head of the bank’s Cayman Islands trust business in late 2002, was brought before the court due to threats he had made against the bank and its staff. Prosecutors had sought a jail sentence and fine for Elmer. He also caused a sensation last month by giving the website WikiLeaks CDs of what he claimed were thousands of secret bank account details.