The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has revealed in its Pandora papers research that, allegedly, 35 current and former country leaders have been have been linked to hidden financial deals of tax haven companies, British news portal The Guardian reports.
In the EU, the Pandora papers also threaten to cause political upsets for two member state leaders. The prime minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, who is up for election in early October, is facing questions over why he used an offshore investment company to acquire a 19-million-euro chateau in the south of France. The leader of the ruling ANO 2011 party declined to comment.
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In the Mediterranean country of Cyprus the President, Nicos Anastasiades, may be asked to explain why a law firm he founded was accused of hiding the assets of a controversial Russian billionaire behind fake company owners. The firm denies any wrongdoing, while the Cypriot President has commented that he ceased having an active role in its affairs after becoming leader of the opposition in 1997.
In Ukraine, President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was elected in 2019 on a pledge to clean up his country’s notoriously corrupt and oligarch-influenced economy, is also named in the leak. During the campaign, Zelenskiy transferred his 25% stake in an offshore company to a close friend who now works as the president’s top adviser, the files suggest. Zelenskiy declined to comment and it is unclear if he remains a beneficiary, The Guardian reports.
Leaked Pandora documents point to secret financial dealings of European leaders
