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| The town of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands: The UK territory is at the center of an explosive new report on global tax havens. |
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/icij-journalists-expose-mass-web-of-global-tax-evasion-a-892505.html
An international network of journalists has obtained some 2.5 million records from tax havens detailing shell companies, offshore accounts and dubious financial deals. The unprecedented leaks include the names of 130,000 people who at one time or other moved their money offshore.
Oligarchs and dictators' daughters apparently have a penchant for
bunkering their assets on the British Virgin Islands. Barons and
composers, on the other hand, seem to prefer the Cook Islands. To cheat
on taxes, they create bogus firms with imaginative names like Tantris,
Moon Crystal or Sequoia.
Those are just a few details published this week on a major global system of tax evasion,
which sheds new light on the methods used to deceive fiscal authorities
and hide money. In what is believed to be the largest data leak in
history, anonymous informants have provided an international consortium
of journalists with around 2.5 million documents detailing activities in
tax havens around the world.
The virtual Everest of data exposes some 120,000 letterbox entities,
offshore accounts and other dubious deals in more than 170 countries, in
addition to the names of 140,000 individuals alleged to have placed
their money in known tax havens. The list includes politicians,
celebrities, weapons dealers, oligarchs, financiers and a very diverse
cast of characters. It also includes hundreds of Germans. Reporters at
the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper noted that the most famous
German featured on the list is society playboy Gunter Sachs, best known
abroad as Brigitte Bardot's husband for a brief period in the 1960s, who
committed suicide in 2011 at the age of 78.
A 15-Month Reporting Project
"The investigation lifts the curtain on the offshore system and provides a transparent look into the secret world of tax havens and the individuals and companies that use and benefit from them," said Gerard Ryle, director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the organization that managed the global research. "We already knew how secret and inaccessible the offshore industry is, but we were surprised by how vast and far-reaching it is."
IJIC managed the mammoth 15-month research project together with 86 journalists from 46 counties. Participating media included the BBC, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Le Monde, Switzerland's Sonntagszeitung, and German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcaster NDR.
Investigators and governments have been probing massive offshore money flows -- both legal and illegal -- for years. In Germany, an intensive debate broke out in recent years over the purchase of CDs containing data on tax evaders. With its banking secrecy laws, Switzerland is also routinely placed under pressure for creating a friendly environment for tax cheats. And during discussions over providing euro-zone member Cyprus with a bailout package, slush accounts and tax evasion there were a major subject of debate. This week, the admission by former French Finance Minister Jérôme Cahuzac -- who stepped down in a tax evasion scandal two weeks ago -- that he held an offshore bank account has deeply shaken the government of President François Hollande. Politicians, investigators and activists have been fighting in vain against these secret and often illegal networks. One 2012 study estimated a total of between $21 trillion and $32 trillion had been hidden in tax havens. Now, reporting by the ICIJ consortium could help eliminate the system.
"A well-paid industry of accountants, middlemen and other operatives has helped offshore patrons shroud their identities and business interests, providing shelter in many cases to money laundering or other misconduct," ICIJ writes. This involves "many of the world's top banks -- including UBS, Clariden and Deutsche Bank," which it accuses of having "aggressively worked to provide their customers with secrecy-cloaked companies in the British Virgin Islands and other offshore hideaways." A spokesperson for UBS told the journalists investigating the accounts that the bank applies "the highest international standards" to fighting money laundering.
'I've Never Seen Anything Like This'
A 15-Month Reporting Project
"The investigation lifts the curtain on the offshore system and provides a transparent look into the secret world of tax havens and the individuals and companies that use and benefit from them," said Gerard Ryle, director of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the organization that managed the global research. "We already knew how secret and inaccessible the offshore industry is, but we were surprised by how vast and far-reaching it is."
IJIC managed the mammoth 15-month research project together with 86 journalists from 46 counties. Participating media included the BBC, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Le Monde, Switzerland's Sonntagszeitung, and German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcaster NDR.
Investigators and governments have been probing massive offshore money flows -- both legal and illegal -- for years. In Germany, an intensive debate broke out in recent years over the purchase of CDs containing data on tax evaders. With its banking secrecy laws, Switzerland is also routinely placed under pressure for creating a friendly environment for tax cheats. And during discussions over providing euro-zone member Cyprus with a bailout package, slush accounts and tax evasion there were a major subject of debate. This week, the admission by former French Finance Minister Jérôme Cahuzac -- who stepped down in a tax evasion scandal two weeks ago -- that he held an offshore bank account has deeply shaken the government of President François Hollande. Politicians, investigators and activists have been fighting in vain against these secret and often illegal networks. One 2012 study estimated a total of between $21 trillion and $32 trillion had been hidden in tax havens. Now, reporting by the ICIJ consortium could help eliminate the system.
"A well-paid industry of accountants, middlemen and other operatives has helped offshore patrons shroud their identities and business interests, providing shelter in many cases to money laundering or other misconduct," ICIJ writes. This involves "many of the world's top banks -- including UBS, Clariden and Deutsche Bank," which it accuses of having "aggressively worked to provide their customers with secrecy-cloaked companies in the British Virgin Islands and other offshore hideaways." A spokesperson for UBS told the journalists investigating the accounts that the bank applies "the highest international standards" to fighting money laundering.
'I've Never Seen Anything Like This'
The documents investigated cover a period of close to 30 years. They
expose numbers and facts, money transfers, the dates letterbox companies
were founded and connections between companies and individuals. The
total mass of data is reported to be 160 times larger than the trove of
State Department cables published by WikiLeaks in 2010. "I've never seen
anything like this. This secret world has finally been revealed," said
Arthur Cockfield, a law professor at Queen's University in Canada
interviewed by Canadian public broadcaster CBC.
The list of alleged tax evaders is as long as it is diverse. ICIJ
claims it includes government officials and their families in places
like Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Thailand and Canada. It also includes,
"American doctors and dentists and middle-class Greek villagers as well
as families and associates of long-time despots, Wall Street swindlers,
Eastern European and Indonesian billionaires, Russian corporate
executives, international arms dealers and a sham-director-fronted
company that the European Union has labelled as a cog in Iran's
nuclear-development program."
The following are but a few examples cited in ICIJ's reporting.
The following are but a few examples cited in ICIJ's reporting.
- ICIJ partner Süddeutsche Zeitung in Germany reported allegations on Thursday that Gunter Sachs, who committed suicide in May 2011, had not declared the entirety of his alleged assets with tax officers before his death. At issue are two companies and five trusts based on the Cook Islands. Sachs reportedly had similar "constructs" in Panama, the British Virgin Islands and Luxembourg. The executor of his estate has denied the allegations, claiming the companies had already been disclosed "during his lifetime."
- German public broadcaster NDR has reported that another prominent offshore client on the British Virgin Islands was top Russian oligarch and multibillionaire Mikhail Fridman. It claimed the most important man behind his construct of firms was Franz Wolf, the 60-year-old son of former East German spy chief Markus Wolf. NDR reported the Wolf refused to answer any questions from journalists with the broadcaster about the allegations.
- ICIJ also explored Greek tax evaders and found that just four out of 107 offshore companies present on the British Virgin Islands it investigated are registered with tax authorities. "The companies' owners are a surprising cross-section of Greek society, from the richest districts in Athens to remote northern villages," it noted.
- The list also includes Imee Marcos, the governor of the Philippines' Ilocos Norte province and the eldest daughter of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. She is believed to hold secret trusts on the British Virgin Islands. ICIJ reports that Filipino authorities now want to investigate whether some of the billions in assets Marcos is believed to have taken out of the country are parked in the tax haven.
- The wife of Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, as well as two top executives of Gazprom, are also included on the list of alleged tax evaders, according to the ICIJ reporting. They, too, are alleged to hold stakes in companies based in the British Virgin Islands. All declined to comment to the consortium.
- Meanwhile, Leyla and Arzu Aliyeva, the daughters of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, appear several times in the records. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has reported that they have three holdings on the British Virgin Islands.
- ICIJ also questioned the deputy speaker of Mongolia's parliament, Bayartsogt Sangajav, about records showing he has an offshore company and a secret Swiss bank account in which he had deposited over $1 million for a time. "I shouldn't have opened that account," he told ICIJ reporters. "I probably should consider resigning from my position."
- The list of names from Spain includes baroness and art collector Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, who is identified in the documents as using a company based in the Cook Islands to buy artwork through auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's. According to ICIJ, her attorneys acknowledged that she gains tax benefits by holding ownership of her art offshore, "but stressed that she uses tax havens primarily because they give her 'maximum flexibility' when she moves art from country to country."
- Also featured in the list, which includes some 4,000 people born in the United States, is composer Denise Rich, who has written hits for stars like Celine Dion. According to the records obtained by ICIJ, she had $144 million in April 2006 in a trust in the Cook Islands at the time. The trust's holdings included a yacht called the Lady Joy. Rich's ex husband, hedge fund manager Marc Rich, was prosecuted in the United States in 1983 for tax evasion. In a highly controversial move, former President Bill Clinton pardoned Rich during his last day in office. Denise Rich gave up her US citizenship at the end of 2011 and lives in Austria today.
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歐元集團和國際貨幣基金開出的苛刻救援計劃，已經使塞浦路斯這個“避稅天堂”沉沒， 飯碗不保的數以千計銀行職員周四響應銀行工會號召，遊行到國會外示威。（圖：法新社）全球數千逃稅巨富名單曝光
2013-04-05 16:31
（美國‧華盛頓5日訊）美國調查性新聞記者國際聯盟（ICIJ）週四發表一份報告，首度
揭露數千名全球匿名富豪在英屬維京群島及其他避稅天堂所擁有的財富，包括總統、財閥、獨裁者子女等，預料將在全球掀起一場大震撼。麥肯錫公司首席經濟學者
估計，這些個人財富總額可能高達32兆美元。
密文容量大“維基泄密＂160倍
ICIJ揭露的數據庫的容量為大約260GB，比“維基泄密＂所揭露密文規模大160倍。
這個數據庫包含250萬件電郵及來自海外避稅天堂的外流資料，一共涉及來自170多個國家的13萬個人及代理者隱藏在境外的財富。
據報導，名單內包括政治人物、藝術家及富豪，還有美國的醫生及牙醫、希臘鄉村的中產階級、俄羅斯的企業主管、東歐與印尼的億萬富豪、華爾街惡棍、國際軍火販子及長期獨裁者的家人與親屬等。
專家：經濟黑洞大打擊
經過對這些資料進行真實性鑒定之後，專家認為，這份資料是“對巨大的世界經濟黑洞的最大一次打擊＂。
領導這次調查的澳洲籍資深調查性新聞記者、ICIJ主任賴爾指出，今次公佈的調查報告不是在暗示報導裡列出的任何人都涉及不法，他們唯一的共同點是“運用提供他們保密的管轄權＂，讓他們得以逃稅。
各國媒體將在4月15日揭露更多相關細節，ICIJ也承諾將會在今年稍後發表更多報告。賴爾說：“我們深信還有許多可能，因為它太龐大也須要一些時間去瞭解。＂
據指，加拿大、美國、印度、巴基斯坦、印尼、中國、泰國及多個前共黨國家的政府官員以富豪家族，也都名列其中。
2離岸公司專助富人逃稅
分坐落維京群島及獅城
在震驚世界的“維基泄密＂（Wikileaks）事件後，週四媒體曝光的“避稅天堂泄密＂（Offshore Leaks）把那些逃稅人的名單公佈出來。
此次在媒體披露的關於在逃稅天堂的離岸公司和海外銀行賬戶的消息，是由86名來自不同國家的記
者，不同媒體組織與設在華盛頓的國際調查記者協會（ICIJ）合作進行，他們經過長達15個月時間的調查，分析了由兩家專門從事幫助富人逃稅的離岸公司的
資料，一家坐落在加勒比海的英屬維京群島，另外一家坐落在新加坡。
以離岸公司逃稅平常
調查分析結果讓大家知道世界上使用離岸公司逃稅非常普遍。合同，護照複印等文件顯示來自170個國家，不同職業的13萬人使用離岸公司的手法逃稅。
這些到目前為止仍然對公眾保密的數據顯示，富豪和犯罪集團是如何通過隱秘通道，並利用所謂的信託公司，將巨額財產隱藏起來，或者將可疑的交易行為瞞天過海。
有分析指出名單中不僅僅是富翁和政客，還包括不少普通人在內，他們使用離岸公司等複雜的逃稅手段，證明這些人不相信本國的銀行和金融系統，所以他們想辦法使用其他手段保護自己的財產。
塞浦路斯
避稅天堂不再
一場苛刻的救援計劃如木樁穿心般擊中了塞浦路斯的金融業，塞浦路斯的銀行危機暫告一段落，但“避稅天堂＂的優勢地位卻一去不復返。
塞浦路斯與俄羅斯於2009年簽訂租稅協議後，由於對企業海外股利不課稅、盈餘稅率僅其他國家一半，加上10%企業稅為歐盟成員國最低，吸引大量俄羅斯地下黑錢湧入，如同洗錢天堂。
去年進行的一次行業調查曾顯示，到2017年，塞浦路斯作為離岸金融中心的地位會越來越重要，將有望超過百慕大，緊追澤西島。
不過，塞浦路斯卻成為歐債危機爆發以來，第一個銀行令儲戶受過損失的國家，意味著其作為離岸金融中心的地位徹底不保，也可能加速該國經濟衰退和失業率上升。
以女兒名義開公司
阿塞拜疆總統涉逃稅
名單中包括不久前去世的俄羅斯大亨貝瑞索夫斯基的密友楊格，而他現在正因為對前妻隱瞞財產，被判藐視法庭而正在吃牢飯，估計他隱暱的財產達1億美元（約3億令吉）。
蒙古共和國前財長及現任國會副議長桑嘎扎布以瑞士銀行的戶頭成立傳奇資本公司，他已表示“我可能考慮辭職＂。
阿塞拜疆總統阿利耶夫以2個女兒的名字，與該國建築業鉅子高沙爾合開公司。還有俄羅斯前副總理舒瓦洛夫的妻子，但舒瓦洛夫否認妻子的公司有任何不當業務。
另外，因詐欺罪正在服刑中的英國大亨卡拉吉斯，他之前利用在維京群島的空殼公司，向英國及愛爾蘭銀行貸得7.5億英鎊的鉅款。
法國總統奧朗德競選時的大帳房兼密友奧吉耶，也與中國商人合夥在開曼群島成立經銷公司，而中國商人的公司設在維京群島。
公民向外轉移財產
歐盟稅收損失2800億美元
歐盟一直努力阻止公民向外轉移財產，但各種規則條款似乎收效甚微，目前歐盟公民存在各“逃稅天堂＂中的資產預計在21到32兆美元，成員國因此造成的稅收損失達2千800億美元。
幾年前，列支敦士登以及瑞士銀行客戶信息泄密，曝光了大批來自歐洲及美國的逃稅者名單，兩國迫於壓力推行了銀行納稅制改革。但迄今為止，國際金融界為客戶保密的原則基本未變。
競選財務主任涉逃稅
奧朗德政府再受壓
在披露出的名單上，法國有130人，其中有法國總統奧朗德2012年競選時的財務主任奧吉耶，讓正經歷一場政治風波的奧朗德政府，再增添一筆壓力。
奧吉耶為了在中國投資分別於2005年和2009年在開曼群島擁有兩家離岸公司。他通過中介公司Eurane在中國投資經營圖書行業，3個合夥投資人人中有一名叫西書（譯音）的中國商人，是在他的要求下，他們在英屬開曼群島設立了公司。
奧吉耶表示這沒有甚麼違法的，他同時強調自己在開曼群島沒有私人銀行賬戶，自己也沒有親自在這個逃稅天堂投資。
奧吉耶向法國媒體表示奧朗德不知道他在開曼群島的投資，他說有人希望通過他觸及奧朗德。
奧朗德上任11個月以來民意指數不斷下降，在受到前預算部長卡於扎克因逃稅和洗錢的被司法調查衝擊前，民調顯示只有27%的法國人信任奧朗德政府。
奧朗德週四在講話中指出，法國政府不會因為卡於扎克陷入逃稅和非法轉移財產醜聞這一狀況而被全面改組。他認為，卡於扎克遭到刑事調查是因為他個人的原因，法國政府的正常有序運轉並未遭到這一狀況的影響。
（星洲日報／國際）
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