The Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has come under fire after his wife made a statement on Facebook, admitting that she was the owner of a off-shore company listed in the British Virgin Islands, according to the local news site visir.is. The revalation came on the same day as Parliament votes to approve new ethics rules. The Prime Minister was absent during the vote, the local news site visir.is reports.
International team of investigative journalists exposing tax avoidance
The news came as a complete surprise. According to the local newspaper Stundin, Anna Sigurlaug Pálsdóttir, the wife of the Prime Minister, only admitted to owning the company after she and the Prime Minister learned that an Icelandic investigative journalists researching tax avoidance and assets in tax havens had asked questions about the company. The investigation is part of an international effort, involving The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Information gathered in this investigation is to be made public in the coming weeks.
The company, Wintris Inc is listed in the British Virgin Islands. Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, is a notorious tax haven, popular with Icelandic financiers and Corporate Vikings in the pre-crash years. Recently companies listed in Tortola have been the focus of intense debate in Iceland.
Read more: Financial minister Bjarni accused of nepotism
The Icelandic authorities were offered information on potential Icelandic tax evaders hiding assets in places like the British Virgin Islands. Initially the Minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, refused to purchase the information, but ultimately backed down, pledging his full support of the Directorate of Tax Investigations. Bjarni had been accused of wanting to shield wealthy family members or business associates. The ministry has promised amnesty to anyone attempting to hide assets in tax havens, in case they come clean.
The local news site visir.is reports that Wintris Inc has made claims on the estates of the Icelandic banks which collapsed in 2008 to the tune of half a billion ISK (4 million USD/3.6 million EUR). According to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service It is unclear how much the company recovered. The connection of Wintris to the collapsed banks is particularly troubling in light of the fact that the Prime Minister has repeatedly blasted the owners of claims on the collapsed banks, denouncing them as “vultures” which threaten the economic health of Iceland.
Read more: 9% believe that prime minister Sigmundur Davíð is an honourable man
Many have criticized the Prime Minister for this, as the local news site visir.is reports. Yesterday in parliament Björn Valur Gíslason, the vice chairman of the Left Green Movement, was one of those who pointed out the uncomfortable irony of the matter.
“At the same time as the Prime Minister stood here, prior to the last election, demanding repeatedly to know who were the real owners of the banks, who stood behind claims on the estates of the collapsed banks, who the “vultures” were, it turns out he himself was one of them.”
Prime Minister and his wife deny any wrongdoing
Anna Sigurlaug has explained that the company was formed to manage her family’s wealth. Her father was one of Iceland’s wealthiest businessmen, the owner of the Icelandic Toyota car dealership. Anna Sigurlaug and Sigmundur Davíð are among the wealthiest people in Iceland. According to a study by the local newspaper DV his household wealth is the highest of any sitting member of Parliament.
Anna Sigurlaug and her husband, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnaugsson, have stressed that no laws have been broken and that she has always paid all appropriate taxes, the local news site visir.is reports. In an interview with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV, the minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, as well as members of the Prime minister’s party, the centre-right Progressive Party have seconded this, saying that while he has not studied the matter, since he only learned about it in the media as everyone else, it appears no laws were broken.
The Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, has come under fire after his wife made a statement on Facebook, admitting that she was the owner of a off-shore company listed in the British Virgin Islands, according to the local news site visir.is. The revalation came on the same day as Parliament votes to approve new ethics rules. The Prime Minister was absent during the vote, the local news site visir.is reports.
International team of investigative journalists exposing tax avoidance
The news came as a complete surprise. According to the local newspaper Stundin, Anna Sigurlaug Pálsdóttir, the wife of the Prime Minister, only admitted to owning the company after she and the Prime Minister learned that an Icelandic investigative journalists researching tax avoidance and assets in tax havens had asked questions about the company. The investigation is part of an international effort, involving The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the German Newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Information gathered in this investigation is to be made public in the coming weeks.
The company, Wintris Inc is listed in the British Virgin Islands. Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands, is a notorious tax haven, popular with Icelandic financiers and Corporate Vikings in the pre-crash years. Recently companies listed in Tortola have been the focus of intense debate in Iceland.
Read more: Financial minister Bjarni accused of nepotism
The Icelandic authorities were offered information on potential Icelandic tax evaders hiding assets in places like the British Virgin Islands. Initially the Minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, refused to purchase the information, but ultimately backed down, pledging his full support of the Directorate of Tax Investigations. Bjarni had been accused of wanting to shield wealthy family members or business associates. The ministry has promised amnesty to anyone attempting to hide assets in tax havens, in case they come clean.
The local news site visir.is reports that Wintris Inc has made claims on the estates of the Icelandic banks which collapsed in 2008 to the tune of half a billion ISK (4 million USD/3.6 million EUR). According to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service It is unclear how much the company recovered. The connection of Wintris to the collapsed banks is particularly troubling in light of the fact that the Prime Minister has repeatedly blasted the owners of claims on the collapsed banks, denouncing them as “vultures” which threaten the economic health of Iceland.
Read more: 9% believe that prime minister Sigmundur Davíð is an honourable man
Many have criticized the Prime Minister for this, as the local news site visir.is reports. Yesterday in parliament Björn Valur Gíslason, the vice chairman of the Left Green Movement, was one of those who pointed out the uncomfortable irony of the matter.
“At the same time as the Prime Minister stood here, prior to the last election, demanding repeatedly to know who were the real owners of the banks, who stood behind claims on the estates of the collapsed banks, who the “vultures” were, it turns out he himself was one of them.”
Prime Minister and his wife deny any wrongdoing
Anna Sigurlaug has explained that the company was formed to manage her family’s wealth. Her father was one of Iceland’s wealthiest businessmen, the owner of the Icelandic Toyota car dealership. Anna Sigurlaug and Sigmundur Davíð are among the wealthiest people in Iceland. According to a study by the local newspaper DV his household wealth is the highest of any sitting member of Parliament.
Anna Sigurlaug and her husband, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnaugsson, have stressed that no laws have been broken and that she has always paid all appropriate taxes, the local news site visir.is reports. In an interview with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV, the minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, as well as members of the Prime minister’s party, the centre-right Progressive Party have seconded this, saying that while he has not studied the matter, since he only learned about it in the media as everyone else, it appears no laws were broken.
