Days after CBI chief's statement that Indians are the largest depositors in Swiss banks, Switzerland today said such estimates and statistics lack evidence and are uncorroborated.

In an unusual step, the embassy of Switzerland here issued a press release saying, "it wishes to make a clarification in view of unsubstantiated media reports that have been recently published about Switzerland and Swiss Banks."

But, the release, which did not mention CBI Chief's statement, said that Switzerland is not a tax haven.

"There have been several speculations about the amount of wealth held by Indians in Swiss Banks. Such estimates and statistics lack evidence and are uncorroborated," it said.

At an Interpol programme here on February 13, CBI Director A P Singh had said: "It is estimated that around 500 billion dollars of illegal money belonging to Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad. Largest depositors in Swiss Banks are also reported to be Indians."

Without indicating the source of the estimate of the illegal Indian money abroad, he had said India, in particular, has suffered from the flow of illegal funds to tax havens such as Mauritius, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and British Virgin islands.

While there have been various estimates of Indian black money stashed abroad, the statement by the CBI Director was significant that for the first time someone in authority in the country had come out with an estimate.