Massive leak allegedly links world leaders to secret wealth
Files tied to more than 35 current and former leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin
WASHINGTON: Several news organisations on Sunday published a leak of financial documents that allegedly tie world leaders to secret stores of wealth, including King Abdullah of Jordan, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The dump of more than 11.9 million records, amounting to about 2.94 terabytes of data, came five years after the leak known as the Panama Papers exposed how money was hidden by the wealthy in ways that law enforcement agencies could not detect.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a Washington, DC-based network of reporters and media organisations, said the files are linked to about 35 current and former national leaders, and more than 330 politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories.
It did not say how the files were obtained, and Reuters could not independently verify the allegations or documents detailed by the consortium.
Jordan's King Abdullah, a close US ally, was alleged to have used offshore accounts to spend more than US$100 million (S$135 million) on luxury homes in the US and the UK.
"It is no secret that His Majesty owns a number of apartments and residences in the United States and the United Kingdom. This is not unusual nor improper," the royal palace said in a statement.
"The cost of these properties and all related expenditures have been personally funded by His Majesty. None of these expenses have been funded by the state budget or treasury."
RUSSIAN WOMAN
The Washington Post , which is part of the ICIJ, also reported on the case of Ms Svetlana Krivonogikh, a Russian woman who it said became the owner of a Monaco apartment through an offshore company incorporated on the Caribbean island of Tortola in April 2003, just weeks after she gave birth to a girl.
At the time, she was in a secret, years-long relationship with Mr Putin, the newspaper said, citing Russian investigative outlet Proekt.
The Post said Ms Krivonogikh and her daughter, who is now 18, did not respond to requests for comment.
The Kremlin said it had seen no evidence in the leak of hidden wealth among Mr Putin's inner circle.
"For now, it is just not clear what this information is and what it is about," spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Days ahead of the Czech Republic's Oct 8-9 parliamentary election, the documents allegedly tied the nation's leader, Prime Minister Babis, to a secret US$22 million estate near Cannes, France.
Speaking in a television debate, Mr Babis denied wrongdoing.
"The money left a Czech bank, was taxed, it was my money, and returned to a Czech bank," he said.
The documents also showed that Indian businessman Anil Ambani and his representatives owned at least 18 offshore companies in Jersey, British Virgin Islands and Cyprus, according to the Indian Express, part of the consortium.
Set up between 2007 and 2010, seven of these companies had borrowed and invested at least US$1.3 billion, the report said.
Last year, following a dispute with three Chinese state-controlled banks, Mr Ambani - the chairman of Reliance Group - had told a London court that his net worth was zero.
Pakistan's opposition called on Prime Minister Imran Khan to order Cabinet ministers and aides named in the leak to resign and face investigation. Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, among the Pakistanis identified, told Geo TV everyone would be investigated, including himself. He denied wrongdoing. - REUTERS