Reaction of Dr Werner Langen, chairman of the European Parliament’s Inquiry Committee into Money Laundering, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance, to the Paradise Papers’ revelations:
“I congratulate the Süddeutsche Zeitung and its ICIJ-partners for breaking another story about the shady world of offshore money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance. Together with 94 media partners they analysed more than 13.4 million leaked files, originating from the offshore law firm Appleby; a smaller, family-owned trust company Asiaciti and from company registries of 19 secrecy jurisdictions. The results are shocking, even though they confirm what we already said before, namely that the Panama Papers’ revelations were only the tip of the iceberg.
The Paradise Papers comprise new revelations that definitely deserve further analysis, especially because they involve offshore interests and activities of many politicians and because they raise questions about certain EU Member States.
We have witnessed how dangerous it can be to investigate cases of money laundering and corruption and how journalists can become targets themselves. I sincerely hope that the authorities in the countries involved will stand shoulder to shoulder to clamp down on the practices that have seen the light and that the good work of investigative journalists and whistle-blowers who brought these practices to the surface will be encouraged, rather than frustrated.
I have received several requests from Members of our Inquiry Committee, asking for a hearing about this scandal and I can inform you that our Committee will follow-up on this in a hearing on 28 November in Brussels.
As you may know, we have voted our recommendations at the level of our Committee on 18 October. If needed, the text can still be amended after the hearing on 28 November, as the plenary vote is foreseen for the December session in Strasbourg.”
