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Mossack Fonseca lawyer says company was hacked
Wednesday, 6 Apr 2016 11:50:19
Ramon Fonseca says his company will be cleared of wrongdoing. (Reuters: Carlos Jasso)
The Panamanian lawyer at the centre of a data leak scandal that has embarrassed a clutch of world leaders says his firm is a victim of a hack from outside the company, and has filed a complaint with state prosecutors.
Key points:
- Millions of documents leaked, raising questions about financial dealings of rich and powerful
- Company founder insists it was 'hacked'
- He insists they will not be found guilty of any crimes
Founding partner Ramon Fonseca said his firm Mossack Fonseca, which specialises in setting up offshore companies, had broken no laws and that all its operations were legal.
He said it never destroyed any documents or helped anyone evade taxes or launder money.
Governments across the world have begun investigating possible financial wrongdoing by the rich and powerful after the leak of more than 11.5 million documents, dubbed the "Panama Papers".
Company emails, extracts of which were published in an investigation by the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and others including the ABC's Four Corners, were "taken out of context" and misinterpreted, Mr Fonseca said.
'The only crime that has been proven is the hack'
"We rule out an inside job. This is not a leak. This is a hack," Mr Fonseca said at the company's headquarters in Panama City's business district.
"We have a theory and we are following it.
"We have already made the relevant complaints to the Attorney-General's office, and there is a government institution studying the issue."
Mr Fonseca described this week's media storm as a "witch hunt" and said emails had been taken out of context.
He lamented what he called journalistic activism and sensationalism, extolling his own investigative research credentials as a published novelist in Panama.
He said he feared that his rivals could muscle in on their business following the leak.
"The only crime that has been proven is the hack," Mr Fonseca said.
"No-one is talking about that. That is the story.
"I guarantee you that we will not be found guilty of anything."
He said his company had a staff of around 500, 300 of which work in Panama, but declined to comment on his law firm's structure or franchises in other parts of the world.
Setting up a company might cost between about $700 and $1,000, he said, with a significant part of that fee going to the Government. Mossack Fonseca has set up around 250,000 businesses over the past 40 years.
He said business rules had tightened and that his company had adhered to them.
"Fifteen years ago, due diligence didn't exist and they are judging us by other standards," Mr Fonseca said.
The Panama Papers have revealed financial arrangements of prominent figures, including friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, relatives of the prime ministers of Britain and Pakistan and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the President of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned, becoming the first casualty of the leak.
France announced on Tuesday it would put the Central American nation back on its blacklist of uncooperative tax jurisdictions.
Alvaro Aleman, chief of staff to Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, told a news conference the Government could respond with similar measures against France, or any other country that followed France's lead.
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Panama Papers: Who's who
Vladimir Putin's associates
The ICIJ's findings reveal the Russian president's associates shuffled as much as $2 billion through banks and shadow companies.
Putin's childhood friends Arkady and Boris Rotenberg amassed a fortune in part through lucrative contracts with state and state-owned companies, according to the ICIJ.
Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, Iceland's Prime Minister
Gunnlaugsson resigned in the wake of the document leak, making him the first major political casualty.
The data revealed accusations he used an offshore company to hide millions of dollars in investments in Iceland's major banks.
Lionel Messi, soccer star
The ICIJ found a Panama company set up for Lionel Messi by Mossack Fonseca in 2012, Mega Star Enterprises Inc, adding a new name to the list of shell companies known to be linked to him.
The Barcelona star's family has denied that he is involved in tax evasion.
Wilson Security
The leaked documents revealed that two brothers embroiled in a massive Hong Kong corruption scandal were ultimately in control of the Australian security company.
Wilson Security earned roughly half a billion dollars in lucrative Australian Government contracts.
Family of Chinese president Xi Jinping
According to the ICIJ, the files reveal offshore companies linked to the family of China's top leader, Xi Jinping, who has in the past vowed to fight "armies of corruption".
Jackie Chan, movie star
The files show movie star Jackie Chan had at least six companies managed through Mossack Fonseca.
As with many of the law firm's clients, there is no evidence that Chan used his companies for improper purposes.
And many others
The unprecedented leak has the hidden financial dealings of 12 current and former world leaders and 128 more politicians and public officials around the world.
See the ICIJ's full list of power players.
Reuters
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