Dnari131: Iceland’s PM urged to resign after Panama Papers leak
More than 16,000 Icelanders have also signed a petition demanding his resignation, while the opposition has said it will seek a vote of no confidence in parliament, likely to be held this week.
Posted 04 Apr 2016 19:00
A former prime minister urged Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson to resign after the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism on Sunday released 11.5 million financial records detailing the holdings of a dozen current and former world leaders.
They included Gunnlaugsson of Iceland’s right-wing Progressive Party and his wife Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir, as well as criminals and celebrities.
“The prime minister should immediately resign,” former Social Democratic prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir said in a message posted on Facebook.
More than 16,000 Icelanders have also signed a petition demanding his resignation, while the opposition has said it will seek a vote of no confidence in parliament, likely to be held this week.
According to the documents, Gunnlaugsson and Palsdottir purchased the offshore company Wintris Inc. in the British Virgin Islands in December 2007. He transferred his shares to his wife in 2009 for the symbolic sum of one dollar.
Gunnlaugsson on Sunday denounced the release of the documents and called it a witch hunt against him and his wife. “She (Palsdottir) has been adamant to pay taxes on it (Wintris) to the Icelandic society rather than saving money by paying taxes abroad.
“She has neither utilised tax havens nor can you say that her company is an offshore company in the sense that it pays taxes abroad rather than in Iceland,” Gunnlaugsson said on his website.
Gunnlaugsson was elected in 2013 by promising full transparency but he has been in the hot seat since his wife acknowledged the existence of the company in mid-March.
In an interview with Swedish public broadcaster SVT that aired Sunday in Iceland, Gunnlaugsson stormed out and refused to answer any questions when pushed to explain the nature of the offshore company.
“There have not been any of my assets hidden anywhere,” Gunnlaugsson said. “It’s like you are accusing me of something,” he said. His spokesperson told SVT that the couple had followed all Icelandic law and had declared all income and property since 2008.
Despite media requests, his tax records had not yet been publicly released. A demonstration calling for Gunnlaugsson’s resignation was to be held Monday evening in Reykjavik.
“People should not have a prime minister they are ashamed of … The prime minister expressed a distrust of the currency and the Icelandic economy by putting money in a tax haven,” said Sigurdardottir, the former prime minister.
– AFP/ec
http://www.channelnewsasia.com…..64402.html
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Dnari131: PM David Cameron implicated via father in Panama Papers
1. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2780378-Cameron-Iandoc1.html
2: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2780378-Cameron-Iandoc1.html
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Walkingstick: The document accuses the politicians of the world hundreds of smuggling money .. including Iyad Allawi
BAGHDAD / JD / .. revealed a huge number of leaked documents how to use the rich and powerful individuals, including heads of state, tax havens to stash their wealth abroad.
According to a report published by the BBC: that 11 million document leaked from Musak Fonseca Legal Services, based in Panama-based and is considered one of the more companies that surround its secrecy.
The documents show links with the 72 heads of state personal current and former, including the rulers are accused of plundering their money.
The secret documents to the illegal trade relations for each of the former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, the Argentine president Mauricio Macri, and the Prime Minister of Iceland, the President of Ukraine and Prime Minister of Pakistan, the son of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi Annan, and the father of British Prime Minister David Cameron.
It includes data secret offshore companies linked to the families and those close to former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi late, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The documents show how the company has helped clients on money laundering, and to avoid penalties, and tax evasion.
The company says it has worked for 40 years blameless and that they did not face any accusation of committing criminal offenses.
The newspaper “Sueddeutsche Zeitung” and the German got the documents, which were traded with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
The BBC within 107 media organizations in 78 countries embarked on an analysis of documents. And do not know the BBC source who leaked the identity documents.
Gerrard said Riley, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists director, said that the documents cover the daily business in the Musak Fonseca company during the past forty years.
“I think that the infusion has become the biggest blow received by the world (activities) abroad because of the volume of documentation.”
Russia
The data also revealed a suspected network of money laundering valued at one billion dollars managed by the Russian bank involved in a number of close associates of President Vladimir Putin.
And it manages the process Bank of Russia, which imposed a US and European sanctions against Russia following the annexation of the Crimea.
The documents show how the work of the bank.
And they transfer money through offshore companies, he owns two of them formally of two close friends of Putin.
And extends friendship cellist Rolduqin with Putin since they were boys, a father of Maria, the daughter of Putin.
On paper Rolduqin grossed millions of dollars worth of deals have been described as “suspicious.”
But documents from Rolduqin companies say that “the company’s institutional cover held in the first place to protect the identity and confidentiality of the ultimate beneficial owner of the company.”
Musak Fonseca documents show that the Icelandic Prime Minister Siegmundour Gunlaogson has undeclared interests in the country’s banks by the state bailed.
Gunlaogson accused of hiding millions of dollars in investments in the country’s banks behind the guise of confidentiality of a foreign company.
The leaked documents show that Gunlaogson and his wife bought the company in its name abroad “and Antric” in 2007.
Musak Fonseca says it is committed to international protocols to ensure that the companies that comprise Do not use the tax evasion, money laundering and the financing of terrorism or any other illegal purpose.
The company says it is eager to work and regrets the misuse of its services.
The company says “Over the 40 years I worked Musak Fonseca away from any suspicions in our country and in other areas where there are processes to Na.lm never bring charges against our company was condemned in any criminal act.”
“When we discover any suspicious activity, notify the authorities to contact us Alfor.uandma authorities evidence of the possible existence of irregularities, cooperate with them fully.”
Musak Fonseca says that companies that are managed abroad are everywhere and use multiple legal purposes. / End / 22 /
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