Contradicciones (Original): Mauricio Macri and the Panama Papers

Argentine President Mauricio Macri has been named in news reports as one of the principals, along with his father, in what could be a tax-dodging shell company in the Bahamas. (Escándalo: Macri, implicado en el informe mundial sobre sociedades en paraísos fiscales El Destape 03.04.2016; Putin, Macri y Messi copan los titulares internacionales en investigación periodística global Univision 03.04.2016)

Setting up an offshore company is not illegal. But if well-known public figures or powerful government officials for tax-evasion or other illegitimate purposes, that's obviously likely to turn into problems with them.

The information comes from an investigative report, The Panama Papers, an investigative report from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). This particular investigation has a small host of Reporting Partners. The three featured most prominently are the Süddeutsche Zeitung (Munich), The Guardian and BBC News.

This video from the ICIJ starts with the war in Syria! The Panama Papers: Victims of Offshore 04/03/2016:

The "Panama" comes from the location of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which "administers offshore firms for a yearly fee. Other services include wealth management." (Luke Harding, The Panama Papers: what you need to know The Guardian 04/03/2016; Süddeutsche Zeitung 03.04.2016) There are even Nazi and CIA connections! You just know there are screenwriters already at work on TV and movie scripts based on this. The Nazi connection is that the father of the partner Jürgen Mossack was a member of the Waffen-SS and later worked with the CIA. (Martha Hamilton, Mossack Fonseca, un bufete global Univision 03.04.2016)

Internationally, revelations relating to Vladimir Putin will likely attract much more attention than Macri in this story. (Petra Blum et al, Putins beste Freunde Süddeutsche Zeitung 03.04.2016; Luke Harding, Revealed: the $2bn offshore trail that leads to Vladimir Putin The Guardian 04/03/2016) This video report from The Guardian sketches the Putin part of the story, How to hide a billion dollars-The Panama Papers 04/03/2016:

Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson is already facing calls for his resignation over information about him revealed in the investigation. (Panama Papers: Iceland PM's investments questioned BBC News 04/03/2016; Frederik Obermaier und Bastian Obermayer, Im Schatten-Kabinett Süddeutsche Zeitung 03.04.2016; English version: A storm is coming)

The pro-Western President of Ukraine, Petro Poroschenko, who according to this report is worth $858 million, shows up in the Panama Papers, too: Cathrin Kahlweit et al, Wie der ukrainische Präsident mitten im Krieg eine Briefkastenfirma gründen ließ Süddeutsche Zeitung 03.04.2016. See also: Josef Redl, Raiffeisen und die Deals des ukrainischen Präsidenten Falter 04.03.2016

Even Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona and his father have been implicated in the report. The Spanish site Sport reports that Messi is preparing to sue the ICIJ over the news. He's already being investigated on suspicion of tax evasion. (Noticia Sport: Messi pasa a la ofensiva y denunciará a los que le implican en 'Los papeles de Panamá' 03.04.2016; Mauritius Much und Bastian Obermayer, Wie Lionel Messi die Steuer ausdribbelt Süddeutsche Zeitung 03.04.2016

The already scandal-plagued international soccer governing body FIFA has had new questions raised by the document revelations. (Thomas Kistner et al, Doppeltes Spiel Süddeutsche Zeitung 03.04.2016)

This report is from Euronews Panama Papers: biggest leak in history published by German newspaper 04/03/2016:

Contradicciones (Original)

Sunday, April 03, 2016

Mauricio Macri and the Panama Papers

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