The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ, for its English acronym) Posted this Sunday to pandora leaves, a series of documents that will show how prominent world leaders, including 35 heads of state and 300 high-ranking officials from 40 countries, including Mexicans, have assets in tax havens.
Leaked documents could raise criminal cases corruptionAnd Money laundering NS Tax evasionAlthough for the most part it is evidence of the complete legal processes used by the rich and powerful to set up real estate purchase companies.
In case MexicoApparently about 3,000 names are associated with tax haven structures or in secret jurisdictions in which they have invested millions of dollars, acquiring real estate and luxury.
Businessmen, civil servants, government contractors, celebrities, media owners and politicians close to the president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador And the former president Enrique Peña Nieto They are mentioned in the new leak by those who allegedly hid property in tax havens to avoid paying taxes in their home country.
Among the Mexicans mentioned in this research is German LariaCEO and Chairman of Grupo México, Maria Asuncion AramburozapalaThe heir to the Modelo brewery.
Entrepreneurs are listed as Fernando Chico PardoChairman and Main Shareholder of Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste; Alberto Belair Gonzalez, Head of Grupo Bal.
The list also includes officials and political relatives such as the senator Armando Guadiana TigrinaMinister of Communications and Communications, Jorge Arganes Diaz LilleFormer Legal Adviser to the Presidency of the Republic, Julio Scherer Ibarra business woman Julia Abdullah Lemos, current partner of Manuel Bartlett, director of the Federal Electricity Authority (CFE).
This journalistic investigation arose from the leak of 11.9 million files obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involving the work of 14 offshore financial companies, among them: Trident TrustAnd German Cordero Galindo and LeeAnd overseas management companyAnd Asiacity Trust Asia LimitedAnd Alpha Consulting LimitedAnd DA LawAnd Fidelity Corporate Services Ltd.And SFM Corporate ServicesAnd CIL Trust International Inc.
In the review, it was discovered that at least 3,047 Mexicans or residents of the country transferred a portion of their wealth to more than 20 places around the world that offer lower or no tax rates, by creating 1,913 corporations, foundations, and trusts.
According to the broker Fifth Element Labwho participated in pandora leavesThe British Virgin Islands emerged among the 22 favorite destinations where Mexicans took their heritage:
- Antilles
- Bahamas
- please
- Bermuda
- Curacao
- Delaware
- Scotland
- Guernsey
- Hong Kong
- Islas Cook
- Marshall Islands
- British Virgin Islands
- New Zealand
- Holland
- Panama
- United kingdom
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Singapore
- Seychelles
- Switzerland
Financial Intelligence Unit begins investigation
Head of the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF) of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, Santiago Nieto, confirmed in his Twitter account that the investigation in Mexico relates to what was disclosed in pandora leaves.
“We have seen the press investigation called the Pandora Papers. The #UIF has already started the investigation in Mexico, in compliance with the President’s commitment lopezobrador_ to fight corruption. That is why we insist that it is necessary to proceed with the identification of the ultimate beneficiaries,” the federal official wrote this Sunday in his personal account.
We’ve seen the investigative reporter called the Pandora Papers. The #UIF In compliance with the President’s commitment, the investigation has already begun in Mexico lopezobrador_ to fight corruption. For this reason, we insist that it is necessary to proceed with the identification of the ultimate beneficiaries
– Santiago Nieto (@SNietoCastillo)
October 3, 2021
all over the world
Internationally, among the names mentioned is King Abdullah the Jordanian, which acquired important real estate in the United Kingdom and the United States for a value of more than 80 million euros. Since taking the throne in 1999, he would have bought 15 homes in Malibu, California, the United States or London.
The king’s lawyers asserted that these properties were acquired with private funds and that they are also used in projects to obtain citizenship. Hence, they advocated buying real estate through front companies for privacy and security reasons.
The President of Kenya also appears, Uhuru Kenyatta, six family members who own a network of companies in tax havens or the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, in whose environment there are companies worth millions of euros in tax havens.
In the case of the Russian President, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Investigation pandora leaves Reveals real estate in Monaco while the Czech Prime Minister, Andre Babes, the billionaire, did not disclose a company that owns two mansions worth $12 million in the south of France.
In Papis’ case, the revelation could have immediate political consequences, as his party, the Alliance of Discontented Citizens (ANO, “yes” in Czech) is the preferred candidate for legislative elections on October 8 and 9.
As the Cypriot president, Nicos Anastasiades, has front guys who own companies in tax havens, just like the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Laso, which has a foundation in Panama that provides monthly payments to his family.
Another name that appears is the name of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham AliyevAnd his family accused of looting the wealth of their country. According to the investigation, Aliyev’s environment bought real estate in United kingdom More than 400 million pounds (about 467 million euros). One of Aliyev’s estates was sold to the British royal family for a profit of £31 million.
Pandora’s box
research pandora leaves It follows in the wake of leaks of documents such as FinCen Archives, Paradise Papers, the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks, but the ICIJ has confirmed that the latter is the largest leak, with 14 sources, nearly 12 million files and nearly 3 terabytes of data, from which it is being generated. Thousands of offshore companies in the last 50 years.
“There has never been anything of this magnitude,” a spokesperson said. “It shows the fact that companies in tax havens are used to hide money and avoid paying taxes.” ICIJHey Fergus Shell.
“They are using accounts and companies in tax havens to buy real estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars in their countries, to enrich their families at the expense of their citizens,” he said. The investigation “opens a box of many things” gives the leak its name.
In this latest leak of ICIJ More than 600 journalists from 117 countries and recognized media from all over the world participated.
With information from Fifth Element Lab, AFP, Europa Press, ICIJ.
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