Several countries have launched an investigation into money laundering in the wake of revealing a vast system of tax evasion on the basis of 11.5 million documents leaked from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. Montenegro is among them.
Many political leaders, prominent figures, as well as several dozens of billionaires are on the list of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists ICIJ, which conducted an investigation into the offshore operations of the world’s elite based on the leaked files from the Mossack Fonseca company.
Irish Times has carried that 13 Montenegro-based companies are on the list. The Montenegrin Tax Administration is informed on that.
“Tax Administration has been informed about the case dubbed Panama Papers through inter-institutional cooperation and information exchange, as well as from the media. Competent authorities – Administration for Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing, the prosecutor’s office and the Police Administration will work to establish the facts relevant to highlight the case of possible involvement of Montenegrin companies in it. Tax Administration will take all available measures under its jurisdiction, prescribed by the Law on Tax Administration and the Law on Inspection Supervision, in order to verify the regularity of the reporting and paying tax liabilities by the companies involved in the case”, Tax Administration told CdM news portal.
Representatives of Tax Authority have not commented on the investigation.
“In order to smoothly implement internal procedures, we will present the details of current inspection supervision to the public only after it is completed”, a CdM’s source from Tax Administration said.
Advisor to Prime Minister, Vojin Vlahovic, denied certain media allegations, according to which he was the “end-user” of a certain company in Panama.
The list of celebrities who allegedly hid money in tax havens includes the president of Argentine Mauricio Macri, the Prime Minister of Iceland Sigmundur David Gunlaugson, king Salman of Saudi Arabia, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the Emir and Prime Minister of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, footballer Lionel Messi, FIFA officials, former world leaders as well as the closest family members of many influential people around the world.
