Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has found himself in hot water after the Panama Papers revealed he is among a dozen current or former world leaders using offshore tax havens to evade tax. Additionally, the papers revealed that finance minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, and Ólöf Nordal, minister of interior, also have ties to offshore companies, which they neglected to disclose.
According to the National Broadcasting Service, Sigmundur Davíð and Bjarni are scheduled to face the parliament at 3 pm today. Árni Páll Árnason, head of the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin), says the opposition will present a no-confidence vote at the meeting.
The Panama Papers are the biggest leak of financial data in history. Eleven million documents were leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which has assisted some of the world‘s wealthiest individuals to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax for decades.
The leaked papers revealed that Sigmundur Davíð co-owned a company called Wintris Inc, set up on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, to hold investments with his wife, Anna Sigurlaug Pálsdóttir.
“I think it’s safe to say that members of parliament are appalled by these revelations. It’s clear that the public, and the rest of the world, has little faith in the prime minister and the right thing for him to do is to resign,” MP Helgi Hjörvar said in a radio interview this morning.
People will assemble outside the parliament building at 5 pm today to call for Sigmundur Davíð‘s resignation.
Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has found himself in hot water after the Panama Papers revealed he is among a dozen current or former world leaders using offshore tax havens to evade tax. Additionally, the papers revealed that finance minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, and Ólöf Nordal, minister of interior, also have ties to offshore companies, which they neglected to disclose.
According to the National Broadcasting Service, Sigmundur Davíð and Bjarni are scheduled to face the parliament at 3 pm today. Árni Páll Árnason, head of the Social Democratic Alliance (Samfylkingin), says the opposition will present a no-confidence vote at the meeting.
The Panama Papers are the biggest leak of financial data in history. Eleven million documents were leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which has assisted some of the world‘s wealthiest individuals to launder money, dodge sanctions and evade tax for decades.
The leaked papers revealed that Sigmundur Davíð co-owned a company called Wintris Inc, set up on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, to hold investments with his wife, Anna Sigurlaug Pálsdóttir.
“I think it’s safe to say that members of parliament are appalled by these revelations. It’s clear that the public, and the rest of the world, has little faith in the prime minister and the right thing for him to do is to resign,” MP Helgi Hjörvar said in a radio interview this morning.
People will assemble outside the parliament building at 5 pm today to call for Sigmundur Davíð‘s resignation.
