The Russian Prosecutor General's Office will investigate data contained in the Panama Papers about Russians involved in offshore companies, press secretary Alexandr Kurennoi said Tuesday, the Interfax news agency reported.
“The main goal of the inquiry will be to find out if Russian nationals mentioned in the documents acted according to the norms of Russian laws … and our obligations to the international community in counteracting corruption,” Kurennoi said.
The statement was the response of the Prosecutor General's Office to the Panama Papers — more than 11 million documents leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca — published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on Sunday.
The data implicates 72 current or former heads of state. The documents also detailed a trail of transactions that leads from Bank Rossiya — a Russian bank on the EU and U.S. sanctions list — to various countries including Switzerland and Panama.
Through a series of complex financial offshore deals, the funds were then allegedly shuffled back into the pockets of close associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin's, reportedly making them millions of dollars.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
