The so-called “Panama Papers” revealed the offshore dealings of powerful and dangerous figures with a history of retaliating against their enemies — including Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of organized crime groups.
Now the German newspaper that first obtained the Panama Papers, a vast trove of documents on offshore companies, suddenly announced today that it will not publish all the files — and it’s left many wondering why.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung received the documents from an unidentified source more than a year ago and shared at least parts of them with dozens of other media outlets around the world. Since the first reports were published Sunday, prominent politicians, celebrities and business people have had their offshore business dealings dragged into the spotlight, prompting a flurry of public outrage, official investigations and fierce denials from some of those named.
At a press conference Thursday, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the complete set of 11.5 million documents “won’t be made available to the public or to law enforcement agencies.”
The newspaper said it doesn’t want to act as an “extended arm” for prosecutors or tax investigators. But reporters and editors at the paper have long known they were playing a dangerous game of chicken with some of the most powerful people in the world — and it looks like they’re finally tapping out.
The documents relate to Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which helps create shell companies for the world’s rich and famous. The firm said it has filed a criminal complaint alleging that the data was stolen in a hacking attack.
Sueddeutsche Zeitung said it didn’t know how the anonymous source obtained the data, but that he or she had expressed “a very strong moral impulse” and wanted to make “these crimes public.”
Panama’s government on Wednesday accused wealthy nations of unfairly attacking the Central American country while ignoring their own failings.
President Juan Carlos Varela said an international committee of experts would be created to recommend ways to boost transparency in the Central American country’s offshore financial industry. Experts say that while offshore companies can be used for tax evasion and money laundering, there are also legitimate and legal grounds for creating them.
German lawmakers said Thursday they plan to hold an urgent debate on the offshore leaks next week.
“The revelations in the Panama Papers have triggered a broad discussion among politicians and the public about necessary consequences,” said Christine Lambrecht, a lawmaker for the Social Democratic Party that is part of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition.
Responding to readers’ queries about the absence of prominent German or American politicians in the reports, Sueddeutsche Zeitung said such names haven’t yet been found in the documents.
It said the documents include copies of the passports of 200 Americans, and about 3,500 shareholders in offshore companies listed addresses in the United States.
“One possible reason why comparatively few Americans appear in the documents could be that U.S. citizens have no reason to contact a law firm in Panama,” the paper said. “That’s because offshore companies can easily be created in U.S. states such as Wyoming, Delaware or Nevada.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Main Street says
Germans. They gave us 2 world wars and Angela Merkel. I wouldn’t depend on them for anything positive.
Cliff Blake says
Me Too!!
Cliff Blake says
Me Too!!
karl Drumm says
Like the American Government
Justin W says
The newspaper isn’t going to publish all the papers for one of two reasons–there is a lot of boring/worthless information in the collection or someone got to them.
In the case of the latter, someone who thinks they are mentioned in the Panama Papers may have threatened some sort of action against the paper or its owners. This retaliatory action would likely be done under the table.
Texas Mak says
Most likely German politicians, Merkel included are involved!
robert says
they wont give out the rest probably because they were paid off to keep there mouth shut…probably alot of millions of dollars..wonder how many of the American government officals are in it
Bud says
I already read a story about H. Clinton and her campaign donations from people on the list, Some big bank in Germany
Bud says
Send them to http://www.judicialwatch.org
I will promise you one thing they won’t be put away they will be worked on,and you will hear about all the Bull Sh*t that’s going on that the crooks don’t want out in public………
Lollipop10 says
I support Judicial Watch in my own small way because they truly do a great job of getting the facts…they don’t give up !
Not So Free says
I guess we’ll have to wait for wiki-leaks or annonmous to get the info so we can get it all.
Bill says
We are…the world is a gigantic Sodom and Gomorrah, Corruption in every state, every country and lies are now better than truth.. fail??? yes we will, fail big time and then the people will wonder what really happened…they, the people of the world are fast asleep, complacent, don’t even know who is who anymore and trusting everyone that has a lie to tell… Believe it or not so they believe. Price to pay…great one one day..very cruel to many.
terence says
“Sueddeutsche Zeitung said it didn’t know how the anonymous source obtained the data, but that he or she had expressed “a very strong moral impulse” and wanted to make “these crimes public.””
Whether this German paper does or does not -and I can’t believe it would not be the first question put to the source- know how this material was obtained it now appears to be going against what it claims to be the spirit of the supplier i.e. a `very strong moral impulse’ of the source who `wanted to make these crimes public’ in now refusing to divulge any further material. While their apparent with-holding of any information on tax-avoidance by their own nationals is also highly suspicious, or are we supposed to believe in tax evasion matters Germans are as pure as the driven snow?
Constitutionalist says
Some anonymous someone from the paper ought to release the info to Judicial Watch, Anonymous, or Wikileaks. Get it anonymously, give it anonymously. Let it be published on the Web, for any and everyone to see exactly who the real criminals are so that they can be held accountable by their people. Took awhile, but Mussolini was certainly held accountable, wasn’t he?
cliff says
LMBFAO,,,, what do expect the Germans to do :):):) Confess to being a bunch of corrupt A$$ holes?
“Just another day in Paradise” enjoy.
Constitutionalist says
More info has come to light; according to an interview of the Libertarian candidate, billionaire John McAfee, the Panama Papers are a USG hoax(really? Not a SINGLE American name on the list?) designed to intimidate and frighten. McAfee, who sold his antivirus company for several billions years ago, also says(in Business Insider) that Soros and the Ford foundation are the “anonymous” source which released the papers.
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists is the org to which the leak is being attributed; McAfee says “there are no American politicians, no American sports figures, no American actors – nothing – and yet we know for a fact that Americans use these services more than anybody else.” He went on to say that the “ICIJ” is part of the USA’s “Center for Public Integrity,” which is funded by Soros, the Ford Foundation, Carnegie, Rockefeller, W.K. Kellogg; this CPI reports to the “Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project,” which is financed by the USG via the USAID program. McAfee says “the whole thing is a set-up” to do 2 things: to first, smear the enemies of the USG, and second, to put all Americans involved with this “shell corporation” thing on notice that agents of the USG have this info, and will use it to their advantage against all the participating wealthy in the US…selectively blackmailing them to cooperate with the CIA.
The interviewer then mentions that he finds it curious that a German newspaper was selected for the “leak,” and that the story was held up for over a year while the list was vetted for just who would be exposed – because the German media is known to be the most CIA influenced foreign newspapers available. See the article here for more info on that issue: zerohedge.com/news/2016-03-28/top-german-journalist-admits-mainstream-media-completely-fake-we-all-lie-cia
McAfee then goes on to say that the Mossack-Fonseca corporation is only the FOURTH-largest law firm that sets up these shell corporations, and to “expect more exposures of these types of law firms” in the future, for there are 2 firms that are at least TWICE the size of Fonseca likely to be on the USG’s hit list.
If any wish to see the entire interview, you can cut’n’paste this to a new window or tab:
youtube.com/watch?v=ly8VVLKjlqc&nohtml5=False
Paula says
Hilary Clinton was successful in raiding the Swiss Banks in 2010 and demanding that all the Names of clients made available to our Government.
The results were that “NAFTA” and “GATCA” was created. This was suppose to TAX every American working, investing or retire Abroad. It looks like the wealthy have already found an other way to hide their money. By the way Bill Clinton bragged on TV that HE and HILLARY have their money in the CAYMAN ISLANDS ?? No media ever investigates them?
Please look up the Government website FATCA/GATCA
Paula says
Someone should investigate the Clinton,s how much money they are hiding in the Cayman Islands! According to Bill, announcing on TV that He and Hillary were not afraid of higher Taxes proposed by Obama. Their money was safe in the Cayman Islands.
The millions they extorted from the Swiss Banks , forced to pay Bill Millions in exchange for his crap Speaches. This was after the Swiss banks were forced to pay the US Government Billoons in penalties on bogus accusations. It worked so well that Hillary on behalf of the US Government decided to implemented the same rules all over the World. Now ALL Banks must open their books to the IRS and or IMF to schow who their clients are. This new Law is called “FATCA “it controls the Banks and “GATCA “controls Investments.
Few people know of this Law. I heard of it when I went on a 3 Country visit to Europe in 2014. As I arrived I was told not to mention I was American as they were very much hated in Europe! After a while I found out This new law has caused Hawak for the Native People.
When I returned home I went on the Government website, under FATCA/GATCA to read about it. PLEASE CHECK IT OUT. No wonder we have no more Allays in the Word !!! The goal is eventually for the IRS and IMS to control the entire money flow all over the World. “THE NEW WORLD ORDER” is created !