各国政府誓言查找隐藏离岸资产的逃税者 Governments Vow to Find Tax Evaders Hiding Offshore Assets

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从巴拿马一家律师事务所泄露出来的离岸银行账户文件影响深远,预计未来几天内还会有更多内幕曝光,而很多国家或誓言展开调查,或指责有关文件是没有根据的攻击。

巴拿马总统瓦雷拉公开倡导信息透明,并表示巴拿马政府欢迎任何调查,以保护巴拿马金融系统免遭利用。

国际记者调查联盟的记者菲茨吉本对美国之音说,从莫萨科·冯塞卡律师事务所泄露的文件涉及22万家公司,其中只有少数公司从事非法或可疑的活动。但他表示,尽管涉及贪腐的公司所占比例很小,仍对很多参与调查的人而言,这已足以说明,有必要对整个离岸金融体系进行检查。

莫萨科·冯塞卡律师事务所的共同创建人冯塞卡坚决否认有任何违法行为。他对美联社说,该律师事务所受到的关注是不公正的,如果这家事务所不是设在巴拿马,而是设在美国,这种情况是不会发生的。

俄罗斯政府星期一指责泄露文件之举主要是针对俄罗斯总统普京,并说美国国务院和中央情报局官员参与了对巴拿马文件的分析。

泄露出的一份文件显示,普京的亲信们通过离岸银行账户转移了将近20亿美元。

The full extent and implications from a leak of records about offshore bank accounts from a Panamanian firm are not yet clear, and more stories about them are expected in the coming days, but already governments across the world are pledging investigations or denouncing the reports as unfounded attacks.

Panama's President Juan Carlos Varela is among those publicly championing transparency, saying his government welcomes any investigation that protects its financial system from abuse.

Will Fitzgibbon, a reporter for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that is leading the probe of documents from law firm Mossack Fonseca, told VOA illegal or morally suspicious activities were in the minority among the 220,000 companies in the documents. But he said even with a small percentage facilitating corruption or bribery, for many advocates that is enough to scrutinize the entire offshore system.

Ramon Fonseca, one of the firm's co-founders, has strongly denied breaking any laws. He told the Associated Press that focus on the company is unfair and would not happen if it were based in the United States instead of Panama.

The Russian government denounced the disclosures, saying Monday they were mostly aimed at President Vladimir Putin and claiming former U.S. State Department and Central Intelligence Agency officials helped analyze the documents.

A report from the leak said Putin associates have funneled nearly $2 billion through offshore accounts.