International research reveals scandal of tax havens exposed

The research, which has been named Panama Papers, shows how wealthy use tax havens to allow diversion of billions of dollars.

Among others (former) heads of state, government leaders and politicians are mentioned in the study. The Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko and confidants of Russian President Vladimir Putin dives in the documents. Various sports, such as Lionel Messi, are called.

Over four hundred journalists from more than one hundred international media, including Trouw and the FD in the Netherlands collaborated in it. The study is based on the internal administration of an important legal services in Panama, Mossack Fonseca.

The database, which consists of eleven million documents came into the hands of the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The newspaper shared the documents with an international organization for Investigative Journalism, ICIJ.

Putin
Use Putin's confidants tax havens to park billions of dollars. The study lays bare dozen transactions, totaling $ 2 billion. The money ends in circles around Putin.

Among the confidants among others cellist Sergei Roldoegin also the godfather of the eldest daughter of Putin. Some names are also on the list of international sanctions in response to the Russian invasion in the Ukrainian region of Crimea. These are for example the brothers Rotenberg, former judo buddies Putin and banker Yuri Kovaltsjoek.

A spokesman for the Kremlin describes the case as an attempt to blacken Putin.

Netherlands
The study also shows that Dutch letterbox firms are used for payments based on "nepcontracten".

According to tax expert Francis Weyzig Netherlands has "played bad role in channeling money" one. "Foreign business owners can indeed hide behind Dutch companies to remain out of sight of their own tax authorities."

GroenLinks Financial spokesman Rik Grashoff has a parliamentary debate aagevraagd following the revelations of Panama Papers. "These revelations show how important it is that public is who is the owner of a mail box firm and that we finally act against these perverse practices of tax avoidance."

Possession of an offshore company is not prohibited. But because tax havens hardly disclose information about the property, such companies are ideally suited for evading taxes or other illegal practices.

Next few days, the media will who participated in the study reveal more revelations.

By: NU.nl/ http://www.nu.nl/algemeen/ Photo: Reuters