Swiss banker in Cahuzac case released from jail-bank lawyer

ZURICH (Reuters) - A former Geneva-based private banker who was a witness in a tax fraud probe into a French government minister has been released on bail by a Swiss prison, his former employer's lawyer was quoted saying in a newspaper interview on Thursday. Pierre Condamin-Gerbier, a former banker at Reyl & Cie, had testified before a parliamentary commission investigation into alleged tax fraud by former minister Jerome Cahuzac. He was arrested in July on his return to Switzerland after saying he held a list of French politicians with undeclared funds in secret Swiss bank accounts. Reyl filed a criminal complaint alleging theft, falsification of documents and violation of professional and commercial confidentiality. Condamin-Gerbier's lawyer said last month that his client had made up the claims about the list of French politicians' secret Swiss accounts in a misguided attempt to alleviate pressure on himself. Vincent Jeanneret, a lawyer for Reyl, said in comments published in the newspaper report on Thursday that Condamin-Gerbier had been released from prison. He was quoted saying by L'Agefi newspaper that he was not surprised by his release and still expected him to be found guilty. Spokesmen for public prosecutors in Geneva and Berne and the police and security department in Berne declined to comment on the case or confirm the release. Reyl had no immediate comment. (Reporting by Tom Miles and Caroline Copley; Editing by David Holmes)