Pandora Papers reporting from across Europe - ICIJ

Pandora Papers reporting from across Europe. By exposing the offshore dealings of elites from every corner of the continent, ICIJ's largest ever ... Investigations PandoraPapers Asuspectedterrorist,acultleaderandagroupofelectronicDJsareamongthesensationalfiguresfeaturedbyjournalistsacrossEuropeaspartofthePandoraPapers—aninvestigativecollaborationbetweentheInternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalistsandanetworkof600reportersworkingacross117countries. Theinvestigation,basedonatroveofnearly12millionleakeddocumentsfromthelawfirmsandfinancialadvisersthatfacilitatethecreationofoffshoreshellcompanies,shinesalightonaparallelfinancialsystemfocusedonsecrecythatbenefitsthewealthyandpowerful,oftenattheexpenseofthegeneralpublic. SincethefirststorieswerepublishedonOct.3,governmentsaroundtheworldhaveopenedinvestigationsintotherevelationsinthePandoraPapers.TheEuropeanParliamentpassedaresolutioninOctobercallingonmembercountriestostrengthentheirbeneficialownershipregistries—orfacepenaltiesiftheyarelaggingbehindinimplementingexistinganti-moneylaunderingregulation. TheEuropeanUnion’seconomiccommissioner,PaoloGentiloni,praisedtheworkofthejournalistsbehindthePandoraPapers,sayingthattheleaks“demonstratethatwecannotbecomplacentandweneedtoworkcontinuouslytofurther[strengthen]ourarmouryagainsttaxabuse.” HerearesomePandoraPapershighlightsfromICIJ’spartnersinEurope. Austria VladimirChernukhin,anallyofRussianPresidentVladimirPutinandaformerviceministeroffinance,usedanAustrianbanktoholdbankaccountsforoneofhisoffshorecompanies,andtransfermorethan$160millioninloanstorelatedparties,accordingtoAustrianmagazineprofilandbroadcasterORF.OnetransactionwasusedtobuypropertyinSouthernFrance,theyreported.Chernukin’swifeLubovisoneofthelargestdonorstotheU.K.’sconservativeparty. TheAustrianreportingteamalsousedPandoraPapersrecordstoinvestigatethesupplychainandtestingprocessofdiscountshoesfromViennatoSalzburgtoSingapore.ConfidentialemailsshowhowtheownersofanAustrianfootwearcompanyconsideredusingshellcompaniesinsecrecyjurisdictionstocircumventsafetyandconflictofinterestrulesontheuseoftoxicchemicalsintheirproducts. Belgium ICIJandBelgianpartnersatDeTijd,KnackandLeSoirexposedtheoffshoredealsofthemembersofSolvay’sfoundingfamily.Thecompanyisoneoftheworld’slargestchemicalproducers.PandoraPapersdetailhowtheheirsofSolvay’sfoundersandtopmanagersusedtrustsandshellcompaniestostashmillionsofdollarsandinvestincompanystock.Oneofthosemanagers,BernarddeLaguiche,movedmoneyoffshorewhilehewasbeinginvestigatedforcausingenvironmentaldamagetoasmallItaliantown.DeLaguiche—whowasacquitted—toldICIJhedidn’tmovemoneyabroadtoavoidtaxesorasaconsequenceofthecriminalcase. TheBelgianreportersatKnackalsoexposedthebusinessdealsofformerForeignMinisterPierreChevalier,andoneofthemorethan1,200nationalsintheleakedfiles.ChevaliersetupaHongKongcompanytorecruitemployeestoworkforGeorgeForrest,aminingexecutivewithoperationsinCongo. DeTijdreportersinvestigatedtheuseofshellcompaniesbyaBrusselsartgallerydealingwithmultimillion-dollarartworksbyPicasso,BasquiatandAndyWarhol. CzechRepublic Czechinvestigativeoutletinvestigace.czreportedonformerCzechPrimeMinisterAndrejBabiš,whousedanetworkofoffshoreshellcompaniestobuytensofmillionsofdollarsofpropertyinFrance,includingachateauestateontheFrenchRiviera.ReporterswerebarredfromenteringtheBVItoconductinterviews,buttheywereabletovisittheCoted’AzurregionwhereBabišboughtvillasandopenedarestaurant Denmark DanishnewspaperPolitikenfoundthatTvind,aDenmark-founded“globalcult”madeupofagroupofhumanitarianorganizations,businessesandprivateschools,usesoffshorecompaniestohideitsassetsbothfromauthoritiesandfromlow-levelmembers—whodonatetheirincomeandbelongingstothegroup.Tvind’sleader,MogensAmdiPetersen,andfourotherhigh-rankingmembersofthegroupareonInterpol’s“redlist”andarebelievedtobehidingfromtaxfraudchargesinTGPacifico,aluxuryresortinMexico. ReportersfromnewspaperBerlingskeexposedtheoffshoredealingsofGenaroPeña,aParaguayanbusinessmanwhousedanetworkofoffshorecompaniestoinvesthisfortunewiththeSwissbranchofDenmark’sJyskeBank. Finland ReportersatFinnishnewsoutletYleuncoveredover$1billionintransactionsroutedthroughtaxhavenstooilmagnateGennadyTimchenko,aRussian-bornFinnishcitizenandcloseassociateofPutin.TimchenkousedthemoneytoacquireamajorstakeinNovatek,oneofRussia’slargestgascompanies. YlealsoreportedontheoffshoreactivityofOnniSarmaste,apaydaylenderwhobrokeredamultimillion-dollardealwithFinland’sNationalEmergencySupplyAgencyforashipmentofprotectivefacemasksfromChinatohelpstopthespreadofCOVID-19—ashipmentthatwasdeemedunusableafterreportsthatsomeofthemaskswerecausingallergicreactions. TwentyFinnishcitizenswithcriminalconvictionswerenamedinthePandoraPapers,includingafinancialcriminalandsuspectedmoneylaundererwhoisbelievedtobeontheruninsouthernSpainandaconvictedmurdererwhoattemptedtosetupacompanyinBelizewiththehelpofoffshoreservicesproviderSFM. France ReporterswithinvestigativeTVshowCashInvestigationandLeMondeexposedtheoffshoredealsofDominiqueStrauss-Kahn,aformerfinanceministerandchiefoftheInternationalMonetaryFund.Strauss-KahnsetupacompanyintheUAE,ataxhaven,toconductconsultingbusinessafterhecouldnolongerbenefitfromtaxexemptionsforhisMoroccancompany. LeMondealsoinvestigatedChristineLagarde,thecurrentpresidentoftheEuropeanCentralBankwhosucceededStrauss-KahnastheheadoftheIMF.From1999to2005,LagardewasthechairofinternationallawfirmBakerMcKenzie,whichplayedaroleinmorethan400companiesintaxhavensandsoughttolimitregulationsonoffshorestructurestobenefititsnetworkofclients. RadioFrancereportedhowtheFrenchRivierahasbecomeaninvestmentdestinationformoneyflowingthroughtaxhavens.InadditiontoformerCzechPrimeMinisterAndrejBabis,whousedawebofshellcompaniestobuypropertiesnearCannes,otherinvestors,includingaRussianoligarch,acquiredrealestateintheregionthroughanonymousshellcompanies. Germany ReporterswithradiobroadcasterNDRfoundthataBerlinnursinghomethathasbeenroutinelyaccusedofprovidingsubstandardcaretoresidentsisownedthroughacompanyinCyprusthat,accordingtodocuments,receiveshundredsofthousandsofdollarsin“profits”peryear—eventhoughthehomerarelyreportsaprofitonitsbalancesheet. NDR’sbroadcastpartnerWDRuncoveredthattheGermanairportgroupFraportAGisashareholderinthecompanythatoperatesPulkovoAirportinSt.Petersburg,Russia.OneofFraport’sfellowshareholdersisVTB,aRussianbanksanctionedbytheUnitedStatesaftertheannexationofCrimea.FraportismorethanhalfownedbythestateofHesse—Germany’sfinancialhub—andmunicipalentitiesinFrankfurt,raisingquestionsaboutwhetherGermantaxpayersareinadvertentlycontributingtothecircumventionofVTB’ssanctions. MichaelBoddenberg,thefinanceministerofHesse—thestatethatpreviouslyanalyzedthePanamaPapersdocuments—saidhisteamisreadytoexaminethePandoraPapersrecords.“IfthePandoraPaperscontainevidenceoftaxcrimes,wewillpursuethemconsistently,”hesaid. SüddeutscheZeitungalsofollowedthetrailofRussianmoney,lookingintohowUkrainian-bornRussianbusinessmanRuslanGoryukhinusedawebofoffshorestructuresintheBritishVirginIslandsandLuxembourgtopurchasethePalaisanderOper,aluxurypropertythatchargessomeofthehighestrentsinMunich. Ireland TheIrishTimesfoundthatoneemptyofficeinanofficebuildinginDublinservesastheregisteredaddressformorethan800limitedpartnerships—aboutone-fourthofthepartnershipsregisteredinthecountry.Manyofthoselimitedpartnerships,whichallowinvestorstoretainanonymitywhileincurringnotaxinIrelandaslongasthepartnersarenotIrishresidentsanddonotconductbusinessinthecountry,weresetupforclientsfromformerSovietcountries,accordingtothedocuments. Aftertherevelations,Ireland’sdeputyprimeministersaidthatthegovernmentwillcloseanytaxorcompanylawloopholesthatallowpeopleorcompaniestousethecountryasataxhaven.Irelandhasbeenoneoftheworld’sforemosttaxhavensformultinationalcompanies. “ItwouldappearonthefaceofitthatsomeofthearrangementsthatmayberoutedtoIrelandareverydubious,”IrishDeputyPrimeMinisterLeoVaradkarsaid.“Wecertainlydon’twanttobepartofanysupplychainthatpeopleusetoconcealtheirassets.Thereisnothinginthatforus,wedon’twantanypartofit.” Italy ReportersfromL’EspressoexposedtheoffshoredealingsofDelfoZorzi,aformerneofascistandallegedterroristwhoemigratedtoJapaninthe1970sandbecameamillionairebusinessmanwithJapanesecitizenshipandanewname.ZorziistheowneroftheThorTrust,whichownsrealestate,clothingcompaniesandchainstoresacrossEuropeandJapan. L’EspressoinvestigatedagroupofsoccerstarsidentifiedinthePandoraPapers,includingRobertoMancini,manageroftheItalianmen’snationalteamthatholdstheUEFAEuropeanChampionship.Mancini,aformerstarplayerhimself,usedacompanyregisteredintheBritishVirginIslandstobuyandsellanairplane. ThepaperalsoreportedontheoffshoreactivityofassociatesofSilvioBerlusconi—formerprimeministerofItalyandcurrentmemberofEuropeanParliament—includinghisdaughterMarina,whoownsavillainBermudathroughashellcompany,andAngeloCodignoni,abusinessmanbelievedtobethelinkbetweenBerlusconiandPutin. Luxembourg DigitalmagazineReporter.luexposedseveralRussianoligarchsusingcompaniesinLuxembourgtostashtheirfortunes.KirillAndrosov,aformergovernmentministerandvicechiefofstafftoPutin,isnamedinthePandoraPapersasdirectorofAltera,aninvestmentfundcreatedwith$400millionininitialcapitalin2011 —whilethegovernmentofLuxembourgwastryingtobuildarelationshipwithMoscow.EvgenyNovitsky,anoligarchwhohasdeniedallegedtiestotheRussianmafia,isalsoinvolvedwiththeAlterafund,thoughheusedadditionallayersofoffshoreshellstoobscurehisstakeinthefund. Afterpublication,NathalieOberweis,amemberofParliamentfromoppositionpartyDéiLénk,toldReporter.lethatthepartyplanstoconveneacommitteemeetingrelatedtothePandoraPapers,butthatshedoesnothavehighhopesfortheoutcomeofthatmeeting.“WewillbetoldonceagainthateverythingisgoingwellinLuxembourg,”shesaid. Netherlands ReportersfromDutchnewspapersTrouwandHetFinancieeleDagbladandinvestigativeorganizationInvesticouncoveredCandaceManagementLtd.,acorporationregisteredintheBritishVirginIslandsthatinvestsinacompanyofferingexclusivesafaritripsinKenya,TanzaniaandZanzibar.CandaceManagement’spastandpresentshareholdersincludeseveralprominentfiguresinDutchfinance—includingTomdeSwaan,thechairmanoftheboardofABNAmroBank,andfinanceministerWopkeHoekstra HoursafterthePandoraPapersstorieswerepublished,DutchfinancialauthoritiessaidtheywouldexaminethePandoraPapersfindings“toassessthetaxconsequencesforpartiesbasedintheNetherlands,”accordingtoastatementreleasedtothepress.DutchoppositionlawmakersurgedHoekstratorespondtoquestionsabouthisoffshoredealings. “Itisofcoursenosurprisethattheeliteoperatelikethis,”saidLilianMarijnissen,apoliticianwiththeDutchSocialistParty.“ButthefactthattheMinisterofFinanceisdealingwiththisinthiswaymakesyouthinkabouthowcrediblethisministercanstillbeintacklingtaxavoidance.” Norway ReportersfromdailynewspaperAftenpostenandonlinebusinessnewspaperE24exposedtheoffshoredealingsofover300Norwegians,includingapairofbillionairecousinswhohidvastwealthabroadandreceivedataxamnestyfromthegovernment. Inresponse,Norway’sdirectoroftaxationtoldreportersthatshewantedthegovernmenttoimplementnewregulationslikerestrictingeligibilityfortaxamnestyandincreasingduediligencerequirementsforfinancialadvisers. Portugal Expresso,aPortugueseweeklynewspaper,uncoverednewdetailsontheEspíritoSantobankingfamilyanditsuseofoffshorecompanies.APanamaniancompanysetupbythelawfirmAlemán,Cordero,Galindo&Lee(Alcogal)paid$29millioninallegedbribestoavicepresidentofVenezuela’snationaloilcompany,whiletheBrazilianconstructiongiantOdebrecht(nowcalledNovonor)usedanothercompanyconnectedtoGrupoEspíritoSantotobribeaministerintheMadurogovernmentwith$90million. InahearingafterExpressopublisheditsstories,AntónioMendonçaMendes,secretaryofstatefortaxaffairs,saidtaxauthoritieswouldlookintothePortuguesenamesfoundinthePandoraPapers,callingoffshoretaxavoidance“athreattothepillarsofourdemocracy.” Recommendedreading IMPACT PandoraPaperscapsoff2021withconsequencesfeltaroundtheglobe Dec21,2021 IMPACT EuropolPandoraPapersreportwarnsof‘parallelundergroundsystem’exploitedbycriminalnetworks Dec08,2021 CollaborativeJournalism ExplorePandoraPapersstoriesfromaroundtheglobe Nov09,2021 Spain SpanishnewspaperElPaísreportedonsingerJulioIglesias,whousedanetworkofshellcompaniesbasedintheBritishVirginIslandstobuyanairplaneandamassaportfolioofMiamirealestatevaluedatover$100million.Thepaperalsoinvestigatedtheuseofoffshorestobuymultimillion-dollarrealestatebyCorinnaLarsen(alsoknownasCorinnazuSayn-Wittgenstein),oncetheloverofformerKingJuanCarlosIofSpain,andtheAndorranlawfirmthatsetuphundredsofoffshorecompaniesforclientsincludingManchesterCitymanagerPepGuardiola. BroadcasterLaSextaproducedstoriesonoffshoreholdingsbyfourofSpain’srichestfamiliesandseveralcelebrities,includingsingerMiguelBoseandsupermodelAlessandraAmbrosio. SpainwasoneofthefirstcountriestoreacttothePandoraPapers,announcingthedayafterthefirststorieswerepublishedthattaxauthoritieswouldopenaninvestigationintotheSpanishcitizensnamedintheleakeddocuments.. Sweden PublicbroadcasterSVTreportedonover200SwedesnamedinthePandoraPapers,includingtheCEOofaSwedishstockexchangeandalongtimememberoftheHellsAngelsmotorcycleclub.SVTalsoinvestigatedthemembersofDJsupergroupSwedishHouseMafia—Axwell,SebastianIngrossoandSteveAngello—whosetupacompanyintheBritishVirginIslandstomanagetherightstotheirmusic,andfoundthatABCD,aluxuryclothingstoreinGothenburg,ispartoftheempireownedbyItalianfascistandallegedterroristDelfoZorzithroughhisnetworkofoffshorecompanies. Switzerland SwissreporterspartneredwithICIJtoreportonFidinam,oneofSwitzerland’soldestfiduciaryfirms,anditsconnectionstoashellcompanythatItalianprosecutorssaywasattheheartofamajorembezzlementscheme.Fidinamuseditsownoffshorecompanytoprovide“keybusinessservices”toaBVIfirmthatfinancierMassimoBochicchioallegedlyusedtoembezzle$600millionfrominvestors.Enablers—lawfirms,wealthadviserssuchasFidinam,andthelike—takeadvantageofgapsinSwitzerland’sregulatorysystemtohelptherichandpowerfulhidetheirassetsfromauthoritiesandtaxcollectors. AfterthepublicationofthePandoraPapers,theSwissSocialistPartyheldapressconferencetocallforanextensionofthecountry’santi-moneylaunderinglawtocoverlawyersandadvisers. ReportersatTAMEDIAalsoinvestigatedtheSwissconsultantwho—whenshewasn’tactingasarespiratorytherapist—helpedAzerbaijan’srulingfamilysetupitsoffshoreempire,andCorinnaLarsen,whoconsideredmakingformerKingJuanCarlosIthebeneficiaryofasecretSwisstrustthatcouldhavepaidhimmillionsofdollarsintheeventofherdeath. UnitedKingdom TheGuardianexposedseveralprominentConservativePartyfigureswithoffshoreshellcompanies,includingthepartyco-chairwhousedaproductioncompanyregisteredintheBritishVirginIslandstofinancea2010documentaryabouttheWestIndiescricketteamsofthe1970sand1980sandtheformerminister—oncejailedforperjury—whoappearstohavebeenpaidbyaPRfirmworkingfortheKazakhgovernmentinexchangeforwriting“aflatteringbiography”ofPresidentNursultanNazarbayev. Inresponse,LabourpartychairAnnelieseDoddswrotetoToryleadershiptoexpressconcernovercompanieslinkedtoRussianoiltycoonViktorFedotovthatdonatedtonearlythreedozenConservativemembersofParliament. TheBBCreportedonthepurchaseofamultimillion-dollarLondontownhousebyformerPrimeMinisterTonyBlairandhiswife,Cherie.BypurchasingtheBVIcompanythatpreviouslyownedthetownhouse,ratherthandirectlybuyingthepropertyitself,theBlairssavedhundredsofthousandsofdollarsinstampduties—taxeschargedoncertaintypesoflegalandfinancialtransactions. InvestigativereportingandtrainingprojectFinanceUncoveredalsoreportedonLondonrealestate —hundredsofmillionsofdollars’worthofpropertyboughtbycompanieslinkedtowealthyandinfluentialNigerians—aswellastheoffshoredealingsofthefamilyofKenyanPresidentUhuruKenyatta. SeemorePandoraPapersreportingfromEuropeandstoriesfromyourcountryhere. Supportindependentjournalism Doyoubelievejournalismcanmakeadifference?Forjust$15/monthyoucanhelpexposethetruthandholdthepowerfultoaccount. Donate Impact More PandoraPapers AllImpact Sen.WarrendemandsprofitandrentfiguresfromcompaniesfollowingPandoraPapersrevelations Jan14,2022 TechtitansurrendersCambodianrelicssoldbyindicteddealeramidbroaderrepatriationpush Jan12,2022 PakistanandIndiaprobehundredsofPandoraPapersnames Jan03,2022 ProposedEUdirectivetargetsshellcompaniesafterPandoraPapersexposedoffshoresystemabuses Dec24,2021 GetICIJinvestigationsdeliveredtoyourinbox. Bethefirsttoknowwhenwepublish. LatestfromPandoraPapers OFFSHORESECRECY WebofcorruptionaroundIsabeldosSantosstillbeinguntangledtwoyearsafterLuandaLeaks Jan24,2022 IMPACT Sen.WarrendemandsprofitandrentfiguresfromcompaniesfollowingPandoraPapersrevelations Jan14,2022 PANDORAPAPERS TechtitansurrendersCambodianrelicssoldbyindicteddealeramidbroaderrepatriationpush Jan12,2022 IMPACT PakistanandIndiaprobehundredsofPandoraPapersnames Jan03,2022 Recentinvestigations More ThePanamaPapers TheImplantFiles BriberyDivision PandoraPapers FinCENFiles LuandaLeaks Supportindependentjournalism Doyoubelievejournalismcanmakeadifference?Forjust$15/monthyoucanhelpexposethetruthandholdthepowerfultoaccount. Donate OFFSHORESECRECY WebofcorruptionaroundIsabeldosSantosstillbeinguntangledtwoyearsafterLuandaLeaks Jan24,2022 IMPACT Sen.WarrendemandsprofitandrentfiguresfromcompaniesfollowingPandoraPapersrevelations Jan14,2022 PANDORAPAPERS TechtitansurrendersCambodianrelicssoldbyindicteddealeramidbroaderrepatriationpush Jan12,2022 IMPACT PakistanandIndiaprobehundredsofPandoraPapersnames Jan03,2022 IMPACT ProposedEUdirectivetargetsshellcompaniesafterPandoraPapersexposedoffshoresystemabuses Dec24,2021 COLLABORATION AroundupofPandoraPapersreportingfromEasternEurope Dec22,2021 ICIJisdedicatedtoensuringallreportswepublishareaccurate.Ifyoubelieveyouhavefoundaninaccuracyletusknow. 1800MStreetNW,Front1#33019 Washington,D.C.20033USA [email protected] Aboutus Ourteam ICIJmembers Mediapartners Supportus InsideICIJ Investigations PandoraPapers FinCENFiles LuandaLeaks ChinaCables MauritiusLeaks Moreinvestigations Followus Newsletter Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn RSS Alltopics ©2021—TheInternationalConsortiumofInvestigativeJournalists. 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