Heads of state, govts. hid millions offshore: ‘Pandora Papers’ investigation

Over a dozen heads of state and government, including the King of Jordan and the Czech prime minister, have amassed millions in secret offshore assets, according to an investigation published Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

The so-called “Pandora Papers” investigation -- involving some 600 journalists from dozens of media including The Washington Post and The Guardian -- is based on the leak of some 11.9 million documents from 14 financial services companies around the world.

BBC said The Pandora Papers is a leak of almost 12 million documents that reveals hidden wealth, tax avoidance and, in some cases, money laundering by some of the world’s rich and powerful.

More than 600 journalists in 117 countries have been trawling through the files from 14 sources for months, finding stories that are being published this week.

The data was obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in Washington DC, which has been working with more than 140 media organisations on the biggest ever global investigation.

BBC Panorama and the Guardian have led the investigation in the UK.

The Pandora Papers leak includes 6.4 million documents, almost three million images, more than a million emails and almost half-a-million spreadsheets.

The files expose how some of the most powerful people in the world - including more than 330 politicians from 90 countries - use secret offshore companies to hide their wealth.