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India said it would investigate the case, while Pakistan’s Finance Minister Shaukat Tallinn said it would investigate the officials mentioned in the document
The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, the King of Jordan and the chairman of a well-known Indian conglomerate denied any wrongdoing after the disclosure of secret documents related to offshore finance by the major news media on Monday.
India stated that it will investigate cases related to data dumps collectively as the “Pandora Document”, while Pakistan’s Finance Minister Shaukat Tallinn said it will investigate the officials mentioned in the document-including himself.
The Kremlin stated that it had not found evidence of Russian President Putin’s entourage leaking hidden wealth. Earlier, the “Washington Post” stated that documents showed that Putin’s mistress used offshore funds to buy an apartment in Monaco.
More than 11.9 million records, a total of approximately 2.94 TB of data, occurred five years after the leak known as the “Panama Documents,” which revealed how wealthy people conceal money in ways that law enforcement agencies cannot discover.
The International Federation of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a network of journalists and media organizations based in Washington, said the documents are related to approximately 35 current and former national leaders and more than 330 politicians and public officials in 91 countries and regions.
It did not specify how the documents were obtained, and Reuters was unable to independently verify the reports or documents detailed by the consortium.
The use of offshore companies is not illegal in itself, nor is it evidence of misconduct, but the news organization of the consortium stated that such transactions can be used to conceal wealth from tax collectors and other authorities.
The palace of King Abdullah of Jordan said in a statement, “It is no secret that your Majesty owns many apartments and houses in the United States and the United Kingdom.” This is not uncommon and not inappropriate.”
In his first comment on the matter, Abdullah told the tribal leaders: “The cost of these properties and all related expenditures are personally funded by His Majesty. These costs are not funded by the state budget or the treasury.”
“I have nothing to hide from anyone, but we are stronger than this. This is not the first time people have targeted Jordan,” he said at the rally.
DLA Piper, a London law firm representing Abdullah, told the media consortium that he “at no time has misused public funds or used any aid or aid proceeds intended for public use.”
A spokesperson for the US State Department said that the United States is reviewing the findings of the Pandora document, but cannot comment on specific details.
As part of the consortium, the Washington Post also reported on the case of the Russian woman Svetlana Krivonogikh, who allegedly became the owner of a Monaco apartment in April 2003 through an offshore company established on Tortola in the Caribbean. She gave birth to a girl a week later. The newspaper quoted Proekt, a Russian investigative agency, as saying that she had maintained a secret relationship with Putin for several years.
The Post said that Krivonojich and her 18-year-old daughter did not respond to requests for comment.
The Kremlin stated that it found no evidence of hidden wealth leaked by Putin’s inner circle.
Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “At present, it is not clear what this information is and what it is about.” Cove said he had never heard of her.
A few days before the Czech Republic’s October 8-9 parliamentary elections, these documents reportedly linked Prime Minister André Babis to a $22 million estate near Cannes, France.
In the television debate, Babis, a billionaire before entering politics, denied any wrongdoing.
“The money left a Czech bank, was taxed, it was my money, and then went back to a Czech bank,” Babis said.
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab (Hassan Diab) stated that he had given up his shares in a company linked to him in the leak and denied wrongdoing. A statement from his office stated that he participated in the establishment of the company in 2015 and owned 17 shares, but the company has not had any activities since then. He has resigned and sold his shares.
The Indian Express, which is part of the consortium, stated that documents show that businessman Anil Ambani and his representatives own at least 18 offshore companies in Jersey, the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus.
According to the report, these companies were established between 2007 and 2010, and seven of them borrowed and invested at least US$1.3 billion.
In 2020, after a dispute with three Chinese state-owned banks, Reliance Group Chairman Ambani told the London court that his net worth was zero.
Ambani did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
An unidentified lawyer representing Ambani told Express: “Our client is a tax resident in India and has disclosed to the Indian authorities as required by law. When making a disclosure in a London court, all necessary considerations have been taken into account. Taking into account. Reliance Group conducts business globally, and the company is incorporated in different jurisdictions for legal business and regulatory requirements.”
The Ministry of Finance of India stated that it will investigate cases related to the Pandora Document and take appropriate actions, adding: “The government will also actively engage with foreign jurisdictions to obtain information about taxpayers/entities.”
The Pakistani opposition has called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to order the cabinet ministers and assistants named in the leak to resign and be investigated.
Pakistani Finance Minister Tallinn told Geo TV that everyone will be investigated, including himself. He denied wrongdoing.
“If we find any inappropriate behavior, we will take appropriate action,” Khan said on Twitter.
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