1,200 Belgians and several heads of government blamed for tax evasion
A hard drive, containing more than 11.9 million documents dated from 1996 to 2020, found its way into the hands of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which includes, for Belgium, Le Soir, De Tijd and Knack. In these documents which contain some precious secrets appearing more than 29,000 beneficiaries of shell companies, including 1,200 Belgians, report these media on Sunday evening.
“This is more than double than during the Panama Papers, which had already shaken the planet in 2016. Among these beneficiaries, 35 heads of state, 133 billionaires, a few football stars, major criminals, a handful of figures from the show biz and a majority of strangers, “wrote Le Soir in particular.
On the Belgian side, 1,217 people of Belgian nationality or residents of the Kingdom have been identified. Thirty-three of these names were already in the Panama Papers. These profiles are varied, ranging “from the retired pharmacist whose wife sells glasses to the hash dealer, whose criminal record is already well stocked, to the couple at the head of hair salons on the Côte à l ‘ bailiff already convicted of fraud. Not to mention this young millionaire who made his fortune thanks to bitcoins “, according to Le Soir.
International leaders and celebrities
On the international scene, several leaders, including the Czech Prime Minister, the King of Jordan and the presidents of Kenya and Ecuador, have concealed assets in offshore companies, in particular for the purposes of tax evasion, according to a published investigation. Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
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. Through these entities, he purchased 14 luxury properties in the US and UK, for over $ 106 million.
As for the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babis, he placed 22 million dollars in the screen of the companies which were used to finance the purchase of the Bigaud castle, a large property located in Mougins, in the south of France. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has lodged funds in two trusts headquartered in the United States, in South Dakota.
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.
Among the personalities on display are the Colombian singer Shakira, the German model Claudia Schiffer and the Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn and Morocco
Also appearing are the names of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who completed the purchase of real estate in London through a company abroad, and former French Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn . The former managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) channeled several million dollars of consulting fees to companies through a Moroccan company exempt from taxes, according to documents reviewed by the ICIJ.
In most countries, these facts cannot be prosecuted. But in the case of the leaders, the ICIJ has encountered in parallel the anti-corruption discourse held by some of them with their investments in tax havens.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has repeatedly affirmed his determination to fight corruption in his country and to oblige Kenyan officials to be transparent about their heritage. However, according to the section of the “Pandora Papers” devoted to him, the Kenyan head of state has a foundation in Panama, and several members of his direct family have more than $ 30 million housed in offshore accounts.
The ICIJ, already behind the “Panama Papers”
Established in 1997 by the American Center for Public Integrity, the ICIJ became an independent entity in 2017. Its network includes investigative journalists in more than 100 countries and territories, as well as some 100 media partners.
The ICIJ became known in early April 2016 with the publication of the “Panama Papers”, an investigation based on some 11.5 million documents from a Panamanian law firm. They detailed the hidden assets of thousands of Mossack Fonseca clients, including prominent figures. The shockwave caused by this publication, notably the resignation of Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson and the head of government of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. The case was the subject of a film adaptation by director Steven Soderbergh, “The Laundromat: The Panama Papers Affair”, for the Netflix platform.
In November 2017, the ICIJ published the “Paradise Papers”, based on a new series of documents, much of which came from another firm specializing in financial arrangements, Appleby. Among the big names whose maneuvers to conceal assets and evade taxation were highlighted in this survey, Prince Charles, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton or the Nike group.