Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 13, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 13, 2017 Quote Media reports set law firm partners on path to cells Posted on February 12, 2017 in Panama Porcell,, Bethancourt, and Diaz Post Views: 94 MEDIA STORIES about a raid on the Brazil office of Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca (MF) sparked an investigation that has led the partners of Mossack Fonseca (MF), Ramón Fonseca and Jürgen Mossack, lawyer Edison Teano to preventive detention while facing money laundering charges. After the judicial proceedings including raids on offices and homes carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, La Prensa spoke with Attorney General Kenia Porcell, Second Specialized Prosecutor against Organized Crime Rómulo Bethancourt, who is in charge of all cases involving MF, and David Díaz undersecretary general of the Attorney General’s Office. Diaz said that the first step in the case had been determining that the firm had been connected to assets in the Panamanian financial system, which in this particular case was done through FPB Bank This was needed to establish the elements for the crime of money laundering, the charge filed against the three detained lawyers. The law firm is under investigation in connection with the Lava Jato operation in Brazil, specifically in helping people linked to the Odebrecht construction company to pay bribes using companies created by MF. As a result of the investigation, Brazilian prosecutors raided the offices of Mossack Fonseca in Brazil in January 2016, which was operated by Maria Mercedes Riaño, a Panamanian national, and a Brazilian partner, Luiz Fernando Hernandes. Intercepted communications found that it was Riaño who exercised control and decisionmaking in operations in that office, linking it to MF’s operations in Panama. According to the prosecutor, after stories appeared in La Prensa about the raid, prosecutors initiated an investigation in Panama that led to FPB Bank where there were accounts that prosecutors were able to link to MF officials. Prosecutors allege that the company collected fees linked to the laundering of money in Brazil, and then used accounts to launder those proceeds. Both Bethancourt and Díaz confirmed that prosecutors were able to obtain documents from the bank that proved this was the case. Regarding the possibility that companies incorporated by MF are part of the investigation being carried out in Switzerland that are part of the Lava Jato investigation, the prosecutors said that the MP is not carrying out a single investigation and that they have been discovering other elements that will possibly trigger further investigations. “Even though we have important findings and evidence of criminal acts, there is still a great deal of information that needs to be processed,” Bethancourt said. Consulted about the whereabouts of Riaño, who is already facing an arrest warrant in Brazil, he said that there is a precautionary measure and that information has been sent to authorities requesting she appear. Prosecutors made six raids Thursday and Friday, all with positive results. They have seized communication equipment and paper support material, which were found in residential settings even though they were documents that should have been kept in the MF offices. Lawful activities Bethancourt stressed that the incorporation of companies is a lawful activity in Panama, which is why the MP only has pursued criminal activities against MF. “We do not pursue law firms, nor any other person for the simple exercise of their profession,” he said. The law firm still faces three other investigations, relating to the publications of the ICIJ, its links to a drug trafficker and a corruption case in Ecuador. The prosecutors said the investigations will take time, and the case presents a particular challenge because it involves a law firm. But, at the same time, the firm is not going to get special treatment, the prosecutors said. “The knowledge of the profession must lead to a correct behavior. The concept for the human being to do what is right is universal,” they said. Prosecutors worked with their counterparts in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the United States and Switzerland in developing the investigation http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/media-reports-set-law-firm-partners-path-cells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 13, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 13, 2017 Quote Government insiders visit Mossack and Fonseca -Martinelli Posted on February 12, 2017 in Panama Ricardo Martinelli, true or false? Post Views: 122 PROMINENT figures in the current administration have visited Fonseca Mora and Jürgen Mossack, founders of the Mossack Fonseca law firm, charged with money laundering They are currently held in police cells in Ancon , according to ex-President Ricardo Martinelli. He says they have been visited by the Minister of the Presidency, Álvaro Alemán; The Minister of Housing and Territorial Ordering (MIVIOT), Mario Etchelecu, and the deputy Adolfo “Beby” Valderrama, reports La Estrella. Martinelli said that Fonseca Mora and Jürgen Mossack are in a luxury cell in the DIJ with all the privileges and have 24-hour visiting permits. According to Martinelli, the visits of Alemán, Etchelecu and Valderrama are to make deals . “Fonseca Mora is crying and out of control while he is in jail,” said Martinelli on Sunday, Feb.12, from outside the country. The lawyers have been detained since February 9, when the Public Ministry interrogated them and laid charges of with money laundering in the Lava Jato case. Before his first visits to prosecutors on February 9, Fonseca Mora told media that President Juan Carlos Varela, had received campaign money from Odebrecht the Brazilian construction company. Fonseca Mora also noted the complicity of the Judicial Branch with the Executive and the pacts in the National Assembly to favor personal interests. He accused Varela and others of approving the installation of Ayu Prado as Supreme Court president as he would be open to following instructions. Ramón Fonseca Mora and Jürgen Mossack, founding members of the Mossack Fonseca firm, charged with money laundering and held at the Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ), have been visited by the Minister of the Presidency, Álvaro Alemán; The owner of Housing and Territorial Ordering (MIVIOT), Mario Etchelecu, and the deputy Adolfo “Beby” Valderrama, said the former President of the Republic Ricardo Martinelli. Martinelli said that Fonseca Mora and Jürgen Mossack are in a luxury cell in the DIJ, with all the privileges; and have 24-hour visiting permits. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/government-insiders-visit-mossack-fonseca-martinelli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 14, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 14, 2017 Quote Missing lawyer appears for bribery probe Posted on February 13, 2017 in Panama María Mercedes Riaño Quijano Post Views: 182 THE LAWYER who ran the Brazil office of Mossack Fonseca (MF) at the time it was raided by Brazilian authorities last year, appeared at the offices of the Second Specialized Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime on Monday, Feb. 13. The raid led to reports that María Mercedes Riaño Quijano was destroying files in what Ramon Fonseca called a “branch office.” and set in train a series of events that finally led to the detention of the founders of the company and one of their key lawyers linked to the Lava Jato and Odebrecht scandals. Riaño Quijano re-appeared in Panama soon after the Brazil raid. But her whereabouts were unknown to prosecutors and she did to respond to citationsAs they mulled over issuing an arrest warrant, she appeared for questioning on Monday. Came the morning of Monday, February 13, to where it was summoned for an investigation. About Riaño Quijano weighed an arrest warrant because he did not Had appeared before the citations of the Office of the Prosecutor. To this Sunday, February 12, his whereabouts were unknown. Brazilian prosecutors are also seeking Riaño Quijano to respond to questions about the creation of offshore companies allegedly linked to bribery payments. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/missing-lawyer-appears-bribery-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 15, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 15, 2017 Quote MF Brazil boss in preventive detention Posted on February 14, 2017 in Panama MariaMercedes Riano Post Views: 124 MARÍA MERCEDES RIAÑO, the former boss of the Mossack Fonseca (MF) law office in Brazil, traveled from her police cell on Tuesday March 14 to continue answering questions to the Second Organized Crime prosecutor about the company’s operations in the South American country. Riaño was committed to preventive detention on Monday. She had gone underground in Panama after her return from Brazil following police raids n the MF office there. Ramon Mendoza, Riaño’s lawyer, said that his client was sent to the headquarters of the Department of Judicial Investigation. Several Mossack Fonseca lawyers, including the firm’s founding partners, have been charged with money laundering for allegedly using companies within the firm and accounts at FPB Bank to hide the movement of money between Brazil and Panama. Mercedes Riaño is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Brazil, linked to the Lava Jato corruption scandal. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/mf-brazil-boss-preventive-detention Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 15, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 15, 2017 Quote Panama: Takeover of Bank Involved in Corruption Case The Superintendency of Banks has taken over administrative and operational control of FPB BANK, after it was linked to the corruption case in Brazil known as "Lava Jato" ('Operation Car Wash' in English). Monday, February 13, 2017 From a statement issued by the Superintendent of Banks:Through Resolution SBP-0022-2017 issued by the Superintendency of Banks of Panama, orders have been given for the seizure of administrative and operational control of FPB BANK, INC., effective from three thirty meridian time (3:30 pm) on Friday, tenth (10) February this year, based on the provisions of Article 131 of the Banking Law.This decision was taken in light of an imminent legal and reputational risk, threatening the interests of depositors and operations of the bank due to judicial investigations, both in Brazil and Panama, related to the operation known as "Lava Jato" involving FPB BANK, INC., as the bank used to open bank accounts for foreign customers, without having the respective corresponding legal authorizations. http://www.centralamericadata.com/en/article/main/Panama_Takeover_of_Bank_Involved_in_Corruption_Case Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 24, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 24, 2017 Quote Mossack Fonseca principals spending Carnival behind bars Posted on February 23, 2017 in Panama Lawyer with one of 18 case files. Post Views: 76 RAMÓN FONSECA Mora and Jürgen Mossack, founders of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, center of the Panama Papers revelations will spend Carnival weekend behind bars awaiting the continuation of questioning by the Second Prosecutor against Organized Crime over money laundering. The information was provided by lawyer Marlene Guerrera, of the legal team of Jürgen Mossack, who said Thursday that she has had access to two of the 18 volumes that are part of the investigation. The partners were taken into custody Feb. 10. The case is linked to the Lava Jato corruption scandal in Brazil. Attorney Edison Teano and Maria Mercedes Riaño Quijano, of Mossack Fonseca’s Brazil office, are also in detention. Guerra indicated that her client is in good health. She added that both Mossack and Fonseca are collaborating with the investigations, “as they have done since day one.” Asked if her client would accept a plea deal, Guerra said that “everything depends on what is going on within the investigation reports La Prensa. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/mossack-fonseca-principals-spending-carnival-behind-bars-2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted February 26, 2017 Moderators Share Posted February 26, 2017 Quote Mossack Fonseca partners denied bail Posted on February 25, 2017 in Panama Post Views: 97 BAIL REQUESTS submitted by Ramón Fonseca and Jürgen Mossack, founding partners of the Mossack Fonseca law firm have been denied bail by a Panama appeals court. Fonseca and Mossack, under investigation for money laundering are in detention at the headquarters of the National Police in Ancón. Opposing bail, prosecutors said the men pose a flight risk and could impede the investigation by destroying evidence. Judge Baloísa Marquínez cited those factors as the basis for denying the bail request. Marquínez said that “the evidence from the investigation indicates that the accused belong to a criminal organization dedicated to the concealment of…criminal proceedings being investigated in Brazil.” According to Brazilian authorities, the firm Mossack Fonseca formed offshore companies that were used to hide bribes given to politicians in exchange for contracts from the stateowned company Petrobras. Two other lawyers from Mossack Fonseca, including the head of the firm’s office in Brazil, are also being detained in the case http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/mossack-fonseca-partners-denied-bail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 3, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 3, 2017 Quote Money Laundering defendant blows whistle on Panama Law firm Posted on March 2, 2017 in Panama Riano, "just a salesperson" Post Views: 119 ONE OF THE FOUR members of the Mossack Fonseca (MF) law firm facing money laundering charges, has revealed to details of the firm’s role in the Brazilian Petrobras bribery scandal and its use of shell companies to move funds through different jurisdictions. Maria Mercedes Riaño has told prosecutors details about the firm’s operations that included shielding bribes paid to Brazilian politicians in exchange for contracts from stateowned oil company Petrobras. In the investigation carried out Feb. 15, Riaño, the former manager of the firm’s Brazil office, told prosecutors that lawyer Humberto Urroz was in charge of Evolusof, a section of the firm,and that he followed directions from Jürgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca. “They were in control of the total operation, negotiating prices with customers and making decisions,” Riaño said. The lawyer, who is in detention while being investigated, said she never acted as a lawyer for the Brazil office. “I never practiced as a lawyer in this law firm, nor did I sign any documents from this office. I was just a sales promoter, as they called me,” she said. She added that Sara Montenegro was in charge of Mossack Fonseca’s legal affairs and handled matters related to the firm’s senior members. “She was the person who went out to defend the firm in every international scandal. She had a very important role because she did not perform common procedures. She was the chief lawyer and a trustworthy staff member Mossack and Fonseca,” Riaña said. She also said the law firm sought to move funds through shell companies in jurisdictions such as Holland, New Zealand and Chile, since the firm was not on any blacklist pf the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In addition to Riaño, authorities have detained n addition to Riaño, authorities have also detained Mossack, Fonseca and Edison Teano case. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/money-laundering-defendant-blows-whistle-panama-law-firm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 5, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 5, 2017 Quote MF Money laundering probe on hold Posted on March 4, 2017 in Panama Ramon Fonseca made curbside allegations about Varela Post Views: 133 WHILE A FORMER manager of the Brazil operation of Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, continues to reveal details of an alleged worldwide money laundering network run through a subsidiary of the company, the interrogation of a founding partner, has been further delayed. On Friday, March 3, The Second Prosecutor Against Organized Crime suspended the extension of the scheduled investigation of Ramón Fonseca Mora, accused of alleged money laundering related to the Lava Jato case. The suspension was due to a petition filed by Guillermina McDonald, Fonseca Mora’s defense attorney who said that she has not yet been able to fully review the file to prepare a defense to the allegations No date for the resumption of the interrogation has been set. Meanwhile Fonseca Mora and his partner Jürgen Mossack remain in preventive detention where they have been held since February 10. An application for bail was denied by the Seventeenth Criminal Court on February 24. When first arrested, Fonseca Mora provoked an administration crisis when he accused President Juan Carlos Navarro of links to the Odebrecht scandal. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/mf-money-laundering-probe-hold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 6, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 6, 2017 Quote LAUNDERING PROBE: Decision makers at law firm knew source of money – Lawyer Posted on March 5, 2017 in Panama Jurgen Mossack, and Ramon Fonseca Mora Post Views: 75 A TEAM of 13 decision makers at Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca (MF) knew the source of clients’ money and its final destination says a defendant in a money laundering case. Lawyer María Mercedes Riaño, made the statement during investigations by special anti-corruption prosecutors for allegedly participating in money laundering activities through the MF branch in Brazil which she managed. In her statement , Riaño said Ernesto González, Katia Solano, Edison Teano, Marisabel Robles, Sandra Cornejo, Sara Montenegro, Josette Roquebert, Luis Martínez, Rubén Hernández, José Gregorio and Chris Zollinger , along with the firm’s founders Ramón Fonseca Mora and Jürgen Mossack, were the decision makers. Riaño said that the lawyers knew all the details of the societies they managed, even who the end beneficiaries were, and the origin of the money. In addition, she said that they suggested the movements they had to make to avoid raising suspicions. Riaño said that, contrary to what Fonseca Mora has said, the Brazilian office depended on the information of the parent company in Panama. She said that while she had codes, she did not have full access to the files. MF was the center of the Panama Papers scandal which exposed political and sports and business figures around the world attempting to evade taxes. Ramon Fonseca was a senior figure in the Panamenista Party and close adviser to President Juan Carlos Varela. Jürgen Mossack served on a government committee. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/laundering-probe-decision-makers-law-firm-knew-source-money-lawyer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 7, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 7, 2017 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Defensa-Riano-apela-contrato_21_4705239432.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 24, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 24, 2017 Quote Panama Papers firm dedicated to hiding illicit money – prosecutor Posted on March 23, 2017 in Panama Post Views: 104 THE Panama law firm of Mossack Fonseca is an organization dedicated to selling “products used to hide the illicit provenance of money,” said Prosecutor Rómulo Bethancourt on Thursday, Mar.23. Bethancourt, who is investigating the firm for money laundering, gave a press conference about the case with prosecutors Ricaurte González and Octavio Nicolau. The prosecutors met with the press “so that citizens can see that this is a serious investigation.” Charges have been filed against Jürgen Mossack, Ramón Fonseca, Edison Teano and María Mercedes Riaño, who was in charge of Mossack Fonseca’s office in Brazil. The firm is charged with selling financial products in Brazil that were used to mask bribes paid to public officials. The charges were filed as part of the Lava Jato operation. Bethancourt said that Panamanian banks have collaborated with the investigation which began on Jan. 30, 2016, thanks to information gathered in Brazil as part of the Lava Jato case. Bethancourt said that it is not related to the stories produced as part of the investigation coordinated by The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that went public in April and became known as The Panama Papers. Gonzalez said the claims by the firm that the information came from hacked files could not be verified. “There are no elements that allow us to say that [Brazil’s] information comes from a hack. That crime has not been proven,” Gonzalez said. He also said that this investigation is focused on specific criminal activities. “We are not pursuing the profession of lawyers. We are investigating members of the firm because they are the owners of the accounts that have received money from Brazil,” he said. It was also reported that Attorney General Kenia Porcell will travel to Europe next week to attend meetings as part of another investigation that also involves Mossack Fonseca. Guillermina McDonald, a lawyer for Mossack, Fonseca and Teano, has repeatedly said that the reason for her clients’ detention has still not been adequately explained. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-papers-firm-dedicated-hiding-illicit-money-prosecutor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 24, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 24, 2017 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/MP-determina-organizacion-ocultar-ilicito_21_4717988160.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 25, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 25, 2017 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Panama-consolida-transparencia_21_4718738084.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 25, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 25, 2017 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Mossack_21_4718738085.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted March 30, 2017 Moderators Share Posted March 30, 2017 Quote Defense lawyers file “pressure” complaint in Mossack Fonseca probe Posted on March 27, 2017 in Panama Riano, claims deal pressure Post Views: 131 LAWYERS representing one of the alleged key players in the money laundering investigation of Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca, have filed a complaint against a trio of anti-corruption prosecutors who they claim pressured their client to plead guilty and give evidence against the firm’s founding partners. Some of the statements reports La Prensa were: “You are the first shovel to bury Mossack and Fonseca.” “Mossack and Fonseca chose you as a scapegoat.” “They’re going to tear you apart.” “If you want to see your father alive, you better accept this opportunity, because you do not know when you will leave jail” The statements were allegedly made to Maria Mercedes Riaño, who ran the Mossack Fonseca operation in Brazil, to declare herself guilty of money laundering in the case. The complaint filed by Riaño’s lawyers is against prosecutors Rómulo Bethancourt, Ricaurte González and Vielka Broce. According to the document, Broce was in charge of trying to negotiate with Riaño. If she pleaded guilty to the crime of money laundering her sentence would be reduced to 48 months convertible to fines. In the legal action filed Friday March 24, the three prosecutors are accused pf the alleged commission of crimes of abuse of authority and violation of public duties. Riaño, along with Ramón Fonseca Mora, Jurgen Mossack, and Edison Teano, are in pre-trial detention Second Against Organized Crime, after Brazilian prosecutors investigating the Lava Jato operation Want to determine which companies created by Mossack Fonseca would have been used to pay bribes to Brazilian businessmen and politicians. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/defense-lawyers-file-pressure-complaint-mossack-fonseca-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 8, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 8, 2017 Quote IMF chief: regulators long 'alarmed' over Panama's handling of taxation Christine Lagarde responds to Panama Papers revelations, noting that authorities were concerned but did not take ‘expected’ action A policeman stands guard outside Mossack Fonseca headquarters in Panama during a demonstration. Photograph: Ed Grimaldo/AFP/Getty Images The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Saturday the world’s financial regulators had long been “alarmed” about Panama’s lax approach to taxation and corruption but failed to take action. In her strongest comments yet addressing the global tax evasion scandal exposed by the Panama Papers, Christine Lagarde said: “In the case of Panama there had been alert and alarm raised, but there had not been the level of implementation that was expected.” Lagarde said the international community needed to do much more to fight tax evasion and corruption and must take action rather than just issue reports warning about the activities of tax havens like Panama. Speaking at the IMF’s spring meetings in Washington, she said: “I think all of us, we need to think outside the box and see how the mechanisms and the flow of assessment can flow through with implementation and consequences in case of failure to implement [changes to comply with international tax and transparency standards]. “There has to be follow up because it is too serious to just be left to a report.” Lagarde said she had “certainly committed” herself to “the fight against corruption”, which she said was now as important to the future of the global economy as climate change and gender and income inequality. Cracking down on international tax evasion was going to be one of the IMF’s “new challenges”, she said. “I think that international taxation – the implementation of a safe network of taxation systems as well as the economic framework of the fight against corruption – are two new areas where I think we need to go further.” Earlier this week, Lagarde said the unprecedented leak of 11.5m files from offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca showed that “the [international tax] rules appear to be skewed towards” the global rich. “Clearly, what has resulted from the review of these Panama Papers indicates that however important [international tax rules to prevent] base erosion and profit shifting … it is unfinished business,” she said in her opening address to the meetings. Christine Lagarde speaks during a news conference in Washington. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters “A lot of things have gone global, but there is one thing that has not gone global, and that is tax. It is still very much a local affair. International cooperation really has to be significantly improved and we are happy to play our part,” she said. “When we issue a report that is flabbergasting, indicating that work needs to be done by the country, there has to be follow-up.” Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World Bank, said the revelations contained in the Panama Papers were a “great, great concern” and “very, very damaging” to the bank’s “mission to end extreme poverty”. “When taxes are evaded, when state assets are taken and put into these havens, all of these things can have a tremendous negative effect on our mission to end poverty and boost prosperity,” he said in his opening address to the meetings. George Osborne, the UK chancellor, on Friday called for the creation of an international blacklist of tax havens and for the global community to deploy clear sanctions against any country – including British overseas territories and crown dependencies – that continue to facilitate tax evasion. He asked other world leaders at the International Monetary Fund’s spring meeting in Washington to join Britain in creating a globally recognised list of jurisdictions that are still allowing the rich and powerful to avoid paying their fair share of tax. Osborne said the creation of the blacklist, which was inspired by the release of the Panama Papers, would be a “clear threat” with “clear sanctions” to countries that continue to fail to comply with international tax rules. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/16/panama-papers-taxes-christine-lagarde-imf-response Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Woolford Posted April 9, 2017 Share Posted April 9, 2017 Very good documentary on Panama Papers, produced in Germany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted April 22, 2017 Moderators Share Posted April 22, 2017 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Segundo-Tribunal-Jurgen-Mossack-Fonseca_21_4739735988.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 17, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 17, 2017 On 2/11/2017 at 8:31 AM, Moderator_02 said: Moderator comment: Should these allegations gain credibility, then the postings related to President Varela in this Mossack Fonseca corruption topic will be split off into a new topic. It is my assessment at this time and given what little information is available to the public that these allegations are nothing more than a diversionary tactic by the lawyers for Messrs Mossack and Fonseca. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/commission-mooted-investigate-varela-corruption-allegations Moderator comment: It appears that there is no credible evidence about corruption of President Varela by those involved in Mossack Fonseca, as previously claimed. http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Mora-Comisiones-Credenciales-Varela-CSJ_21_4759234036.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted May 31, 2017 Moderators Share Posted May 31, 2017 Moderator comment: See also http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/4568-odebrecht-corruption-and-fraud-investigations-prosecutions/?do=findComment&comment=17568 http://www.prensa.com/in_english/Angel-Rondon-conocido-Mossack-Fonseca_21_4769732980.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted June 1, 2017 Moderators Share Posted June 1, 2017 Quote Corruption probe arrest black eye for Panama law firm Posted on May 31, 2017 in Panama Angel Rondo used Mossack Fonseca to hide funds Post Views: 132 THE ARREST of a Dominican businessman accused of involvement in the Odebrecht bribery scandal has again thrown the spotlight on the Mossack Fonseca (MF) law firm, center of the Panama Papers revelations. In 2004 a representative of the Dominican firm Pellerano & Herrera contacted the offices of MF to acquire a Panama company reports La Prensa. MF not only sold the firm a Panama company, Lashan Corp., but also advised it on how to hide the actual owners through the use of nominee shareholders, a practice that has been widely criticized within the industry. MF recommended that a foundation be used and that a “protector” be appointed, who would not be the actual final beneficiary, but who would receive instructions from the actual owner. “Under this structure we propose the appointment of nominee shareholders (protectors)…who would not be the real final beneficiary. The protector would have direct communication and a continuous relationship with the real beneficiaries and our work would consist only in acting under the precise instructions of the protector,” MF recommended in an email. The final beneficiary of Lashan Corp. was Ángel Rondón, who this week was arrested on corruption charges related to the paying of $92 million in bribes by the Odebrecht company to Dominican officials. Rondon wasn’t a government official, but rather a businessman who also worked for Odebrecht. Emails between him and MF show that the firm was well aware that he was the final beneficiary of Lashan. The company Lashan was active during the period when the bribes were paid, and MF opened bank accounts for it in the Bahamas, Panama and Antigua. The bank account in Antigua was opened at Antigua Overseas Bank Ltd. That bank employed Vinicius Veiga Borin, who would later work at Antigua’s Meinl Bank, an institution that was bought by Odebrecht. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/corruption-probe-arrest-black-eye-panama-law-firm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted July 29, 2017 Moderators Share Posted July 29, 2017 Quote Panama Papers bring down Pakistan Prime Minister Posted on July 28, 2017 in Panama Post Views: 140 ANOTHER corrupt political head has rolled because of the Panama Papers revelations exposing the activities of law firm Mossack Fonseca whose two founding partners are awaiting trial after each being released on $500,000 bail. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been ousted after Sharif and his family were probed on corruption charges triggered by the revelations. Transparency International writes that Pakistan’s record remains intact: No elected prime minister in the country’s history has managed to serve a full five-year term. Not even Nawaz Sharif, who was out trying his luck for the third time. On his first attempt, he was pushed out of power in 1993 by the country’s powerful military after running afoul of then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan. On his second attempt, Sharif was ousted in 1999 in a bloodless military coup orchestrated by General Pervez Musharraf who went on to rule the country for nearly a decade. A little past noon on July 28, Sharif’s third attempt, too, ended abruptly, as Pakistan’s supreme court ordered the 67-year-old politician’s dismissal from the prime minister’s office. The verdict came after Sharif and his family were probed on corruption charges triggered by the Panama Papers, a collection of around 11.5 million documents held by Mossack Fonseca that was released in 2016. A spokesman for Sharif said; “Following the verdict, Nawaz Sharif has resigned from his responsibilities as prime minister,” reports BBC News. Offshore holdings One of the largest-ever data leaks, the Panama Papers exposed the offshore holdings of 140 politicians and public officials across the world, including those of Iceland’s prime minister Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson who was forced to step down. The leaks also contained details of assets and companies held by Sharif and his family, which hadn’t been disclosed earlier. The revelations, especially around prime real estate owned by the family in London, set off a political firestorm in Pakistan, with opposition parties threatening massive protests unless the matter was investigated properly. Eventually, last November, the supreme court stepped in and spent the next few months hearing arguments from both sides. In its 540-page verdict in April 2017, the court outlined that it wasn’t satisfied with the Sharif family’s defense. In May, a six-member joint investigation team (JIT) appointed by the supreme court began scrutinising the documents and questioned key individuals, including Sharif, before submitting its report earlier this month. The prime minister denied any wrongdoing—in fact, his family called the JIT “a farce and an eyewash”—but a five-judge bench of Pakistan’s top court thought otherwise. It said Sharif had been dishonest to both parliament and the judiciary. “He is no longer eligible to be an honest member of the Parliament, and he ceases to hold the office of prime minister,” judge Ejaz Afzal Khan was reported by Reuters as saying. Pakistan’s election commission will now have to “de-notify” Sharif from his parliamentary seat, according to the Dawn newspaper, while the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party finds a replacement to take over as prime minister. General elections are not scheduled till the middle of next year. “Whoever they bring will be a weak prime minister, as Nawaz Sharif would want to have someone who is more or less in line with his thinking,” Hasan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based political analyst, told The New York Times. The political instability stemming from this verdict is unlikely to be good news for Pakistan’s economy, which had made some progress in the last three years under Sharif’s watch. There will also be some anxiety in the neighbourhood, particularly in India, as a weakened civilian leadership will strengthen the already powerful army’s grip over Pakistan says Transparency International. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-papers-bring-pakistan-pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 3, 2017 Moderators Share Posted October 3, 2017 Quote Panama Papers link in Pakistan arrest warrantS Posted on October 2, 2017 in Panama Post Views: 98 MAJOR RIPPLES following the initial tsunami created by the release of the Panama Papers continue to be felt around the world with more likely following a recent visit of European investigators to Panama City. The latestsurge comes from Pakistani where on Monday, Oct.2, an anti-corruption court today issued arrest warrants for failing to appear before the court against the children of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and decided to postpone its decision on the impeachment of the former ruler for alleged corruption. After six months of investigations initiated because of the Panama Papers, the highest judicial court disqualified the prime minister for not including in his income statement a salary he no longer received from a company of a son in the United Arab Emirates, which Supreme considered as proof of his lack of “honesty.” Judge Mohamed Bashir issued arrest warrants for the daughter of the former warlord, Maryam, and without bail against her sons Hasan and Husain, and her son-in-law Mohamed Safdar Awan, for failing to appear for the third time in court, court, Mohamed Irfan. Nawaz, who did appear before the judge, was not charged with corruption as announced at the last hearing, the spokesman said, adding that he “probably” would be indicted next week. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/panama-papers-link-pakistan-arrest-warrants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Moderator_02 Posted October 5, 2017 Moderators Share Posted October 5, 2017 Quote Colombia arrests 4 in Panama Papers probe Posted on October 4, 2017 in Panama Post Views: 173 THE PANAMA PAPERS revelations of scores of thousands of corporations created by Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca to help corporations and individuals dodge taxes or hide money in 21 tax havens, continue to throw a light on suspects, from political leaders to sports stars and entertainment idols, and others working in the shadows. The latest haul comes from Colombia where prosecutors on Wednesday, October 4 detained four people, as part of the ongoing worldwide investigation. Arrested were Ecuadorian Juan Esteban Arellano Rumazo, legal representative in Colombia of the firm Mossack Fonseca; Luz Mary Guerrero Hernández, shareholder and legal representative of Empresas Efectivo; Sara Guavita Moreno, deputy legal representative of Servientrega, and Jorge Humberto Sánchez Amado, fiscal auditor of Efectivo According to a statement from the Prosecutor’s Office, “the Colombian office of Mossack Fonseca offered in its services between 2010 and 2016 an elaborate financial and corporate framework, which was intended to sell false invoices to Colombian companies by exterior companies “. The legal representatives, accountants and tax examiners of the companies Inversiones Zambrano Pinzón Asociados, society Artextil, the company El Heraldo, Rymel Ingeniería Eléctrica y Medicina Nuclear Diagnostica, will also be imputed for the crime of “ideological falsification of private documents”. They will also be accused of committing procedural fraud. The Panama Papers led to a scandal in April 2016 following the leak by a body of investigative journalists of the of corporations created by the Mossack & Fonseca law firm for the concealment in 21 tax havens of irregularly obtained fortunes and tax evasion of politicians and other dozens of countries around the world. http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/colombia-arrests-4-panama-papers-probe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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