Pinned down by the Pandora Papers, DSK denounces a “lie” – The HuffPost

Gonzalo Fuentes via Reuters

JUSTICE – Several countries and leaders on Monday, October 4 rejected the revelations of a vast investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) accusing several hundred of politicians and their relatives for having concealed assets in offshore companies, especially for tax evasion purposes.

Posted Sunday, this survey, on which around 600 journalists collaborated, is called Pandora Papers, a reference to the legend of Pandora’s box. It draws on some 11.9 million documents from 14 financial services companies and has uncovered more than 29,000 offshore companies.

Among the personalities mentioned are Colombian singer Shakira, German model Claudia Schiffer or Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Also appear the names of the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for the purchase of real estate in London, and of the former French Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

The former director general of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), now a consultant and lecturer, has passed several million dollars in fees through a Moroccan company exempt from taxes, according to the survey.

“I have been a Moroccan tax resident since 2013 and (…) I pay my taxes there up to 23.8% of my profits, or 812,000 euros for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020”, defended DSK on Twitter annoyed that “wickedness becomes a lie”. “Your teams of professionals could have verified that I am a Moroccan tax resident”, he writes for the attention of the “Cash Investigation” program.

#cashinvestigation
When wickedness becomes a lie. Your teams of professionals could have verified that I have been a Moroccan tax resident since 2013 and that I pay my taxes there up to 23.8% of my profits, or 812,000 euros for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

– DSK (@dstrausskahn) October 4, 2021

According to The world, 600 French people appear in the survey. In most countries, these facts cannot be prosecuted. But the ICIJ draws a parallel between the discourse of certain leaders and their investments in tax havens.

According to these documents, King Abdullah II of Jordan created at least thirty offshore companies, that is to say in countries or territories with favorable taxation, and bought through them 14 luxury properties in the United States and in the UK, for over $ 106 million. “Inaccurate, distorted and exaggerated press information,” the Royal Palace responded on Monday.

Also implicated, the Kremlin rejected “unfounded allegations”. According to the ICIJ, Svetlana Krivonogikh, a woman presented by Russian media as a former mistress of President Vladimir Putin, in 2003 acquired an apartment for four million dollars in Monaco via offshore accounts. Other relatives of the president are also mentioned.

Ivorian Prime Minister Patrick Achi, who controlled a company in the Bahamas until at least 2006 according to the investigation, on Monday denied any “illegal action”. Already Sunday, the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babis, had defended himself to have placed 22 million dollars in front companies to finance the purchase of a castle in the south of France. “I have never done anything illegal or wrong,” he tweeted, “but that doesn’t stop them from trying to denigrate me and influence the Czech parliamentary elections”, scheduled for Friday and Saturday next.

336 politicians pinned

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who based his image on the fight against corruption, according to the ICIJ set up from 2012 a network of offshore companies which was used in particular to buy three wealthy properties in London. A means, according to the Ukrainian presidential administration, to “protect” against the “aggressive actions” of the regime of the pro-Russian ex-president Viktor Yanukovych.

In total, links have been established by the ICIJ between offshore assets and 336 top executives and politicians who have created nearly 1,000 companies, more than two-thirds of which are in the British Virgin Islands.

The investigation also points to the “major role in tax evasion” of the Panamanian law firm Alcogal (Aleman, Cordero, Galindo & Lee), accusations rejected by the company.

For the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, these practices are “completely unacceptable” and the EU must “work more” on the issue.

An independent entity, the ICIJ has investigative journalists in more than 100 countries and territories, with some 100 media partners. It became known in 2016 with the Panama Papers, an investigation based on some 11.5 million documents from a Panamanian law firm.

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