GENEVA—Detained Swiss banker Rudolf Elmer claims he gave blank CDs to WikiLeaks earlier this year, rather than private bank client information as he had announced at a staged handover event days before, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Zurich lawyer Ganden Tethong said Elmer informed Swiss authorities the disks were empty after his arrest Jan. 22 on suspicion of breaking the country's strict banking secrecy laws. "The investigation (against Elmer) has produced no evidence that would refute Mr. Elmer's assertion," Tethong said in a statement.

Zurich prosecutors couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

WikiLeaks spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said his group had "no comment on that at this time." Hrafnsson said that journalists were free to ask WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange about it during his news conference on Thursday. Assange is currently in Britain fighting extradition to Sweden, where he's wanted for questioning on sex crime allegations.

Days before Elmer's arrest in January, he and Assange appeared before journalists in London to stage an elaborate handover ceremony, at which the former Julius Baer banker claimed the disks contained the account details of prominent tax evaders.

A Zurich court found Elmer guilty in January of coercion and breaking bank secrecy laws in an earlier case. He was given a fine of more than 6,000 Swiss francs ($6,260), payable if he offends again in the next two years.

© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.