Buenos Aires, April 09 (teleSUR-RHC) A commission of the Argentine parliament investigating systematic tax evasion released on Tuesday a list of 61 companies owning secret HSBC accounts in Switzerland.

The investigation started when French tax authorities handed to Argentina – and other countries – a list leaked from a former banker in the Swiss branch of HSBC. Over 4,000 Swiss bank accounts belonging to Argentine businesses have been registered in total. The named companies in the list are now expected to testify before the commission.

Argentina's measure follows an international crackdown on undeclared funds held in offshore havens, as the 2008 financial crisis strained government budgets and encouraged them to maximize tax revenues.

Switzerland has become the world's biggest offshore financial center due to strict banking secrecy laws.