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Panama Papers do not mention Romanian top politicians, says President Iohannis
The Panama Papers do not mention Romanian top politicians or personalities, President Klaus Iohannis asserted in an interview aired on Wednesday night by the public television TVR.
"I think we need to consider this matter in full seriousness. The so-called Panama Papers scandal is more, much more than a mere scandal revealed by the media to remain there. It is a global mega-scandal, there is a humongous number of politicians, of well-known businesspersons involved in this scandal, and we must take a look into it. (...) If a businessperson who earns a lot in Romania prefers to use such a scheme and not pay taxes in Romania, but elsewhere, in Panama for instance, then I think it's a thing that can be judged not only in legal terms, but at least in the public space, in the media space, in moral terms. (...) In my opinion, it is a matter that does not affect just us; and I admit I am content — I hope there won't be more surprises — not to find well-known names or high political positions in Romania on this Panama Papers list. There are some businesspersons of Romania, some of them already in various trials, also for tax avoidance," the President said.
According to Iohannis, off-shore companies are a problem for the world economy.
"The fact that this model of off-shore companies is presently possible is a thing with which I personally have some problems, and I think we're facing a reconsideration of the whole global economic circuit, a rethinking of the whole taxes system for companies. (...) Prosecutors (...) with mandates have access to some information. Well, this must be discussed one way or another, whether it would be proper to apply it to companies who pay very small taxes in one place, such as Panama, while making very high profits elsewhere," he said.
The President added that politicians are especially concerned by the sources of money.
"There are many question marks, and I don't want to accuse anybody, as I have no such data, but the question is pending. That hidden money — doesn't it come from corruption? Investigators must give very pertinent answers to this questions, and I've seen there are already political consequences. A prime minister has resigned. Following this scandal, broad investigations were announced in many countries. Here, the Tax Administration Agency announced verifications. Thus, it is not just a media scandal, it's a scandal with consequences on the way we see the evolution of the global economy and the way countries relate with companies operating on their territory," Iohannis concluded.
In turn, Minister of Public Finance Anca Dragu told Europa FM on Thursday said that some of the names in the lists of Panama Papers can be certainly found in the various operations conducted by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF).
"In the cases where incomes come from less legal activities there is the tendency to hide them. This is generally the behavior of people with higher financial possibilities. A man who lives on his salary has nothing to hide and has no reason to take his income to a tax haven. Certainly some of these names on the lists in this case can also be found in the various operations conducted by the ANAF, including through the Large Fortunes Control Department. (...) There is communication with the Office for Money Laundering Prevention and they have information they make available to ANAF," said Dragu.
She added that at a working group is being formed at the ANAF to draw up a comprehensive report.
The ANAF announced on Tuesday that an interdepartmental working group would check the tax implications of the information released through the journalism project "Panama Papers."
The activity of this group will involve fraud inspectors, tax inspectors and inspectors specialized in personal income verification, management of tax information and foreclosures, the ANAF informs.
Leakage of financial information contained in 11.5 million documents from a law firm based in Panama have revealed how top politicians, sports stars and criminals hid their money by using offshore tax havens, shows an investigation published on Sunday in German publication Sueddeutsche Zeitung.
According to RISE Project, the offices of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, a real factory of companies, have stored in the last two decades the secrets of some big businesses in Romania.