Rich Americans' bank information exposed

WASHINGTON, July 17 (UPI) -- Hundreds of wealthy U.S. residents may face criminal charges after their overseas bank information was given to U.S. tax authorities, officials say.

A Senate committee was set to meet Thursday to hear testimony from overseas bank account holders, ABC reported Wednesday.

Los Angeles billionaire Peter Lowy, 48, whose family owns the Westfield shopping center estate and will manage retail space in New York's World Trade Center, is mentioned on documents listing secret bank accounts in Liechtenstein, his attorney Bob Bennett said.

Bennett said Lowy cannot testify Thursday because he isn't in the United States.

"Liechtenstein is regarded as one of the most secretive places in the world," John Christensen of London's Tax Justice Network, told ABC.

Attention was called to the LGT Bank in Liechtenstein when computer technician Heinrich Kieber gave the personal and secret bank information of account holders to U.S. and European tax officials, ABC said.

"It completely exposed the fact that Liechtenstein is nothing but a place to hide your money from tax collectors, and any other police who might be interested," said Kieber's attorney Jack Blum.