Panama Papers Scandal Brings Down Iceland’s Prime Minister *http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/world/europe/panama-papers-iceland <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/world/europe/panama-papers-iceland.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news>*
By STEVEN ERLANGER <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/e/steven_erlanger/index.html>APRIL 5, 2016 Photo Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson of Iceland was surrounded by members of the news media as he left a meeting with President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson in Reykjavik on Tuesday.CreditBirgir Por Hardarson/European Pressphoto Agency LONDON — The prime minister of Iceland resigned on Tuesday after an enormous leak of documents <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/world/panama-papers-explainer.html> from a secretive Panamanian law firm about offshore shell companies and tax shelters. The resignation of the prime minister, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, was the first prominent political fallout from the document leaks, which have shed unflattering light on the private financial activities of many rich and powerful people around the world. Mr. Gunnlaugsson’s resignation was announced on television by Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, a government minister and the deputy chairman of his Progressive Party, and it was confirmed <http://www.ruv.is/frett/sigurdur-ingi-verdi-nyr-forsaetisradherra> by the state broadcaster, RUV. Mr. Gunnlaugsson had insisted on staying in office <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/world/europe/panama-papers-leaks-put-iceland-leader-under-pressure-to-quit.html> after the leaked documents revealed that he and his wealthy partner, now his wife, had set up a company in 2007 in the British Virgin Islands through the law firm, Mossack Fonseca. The documents also suggested that he sold his half of the company to her for $1, on the last day of 2009, just before the implementation of a new law that would have required him as a member of Parliament to declare his ownership as a conflict of interest. Mr. Gunnlaugsson had said that the leak contained no news, adding that he and his wife, Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir, had not hidden their assets or avoided paying taxes. But the company, Wintris Inc., lost millions of dollars as a result of the 2008 financial crash, which crippled Iceland <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/iceland/index.html?inline=nyt-geo>, and the company is claiming about $4.2 million from three failed Icelandic banks. As prime minister since 2013, Mr. Gunnlaugsson was involved in reaching a deal for the banks’ claimants, so he is now being accused of a conflict of interest. 26COMMENTS When asked by Swedish and Icelandic television journalists about Wintris before the publication of the leaks, Mr. Gunnlaugsson stormed out <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORlq_zrfWDc>, saying that the journalists had obtained the interview “under false pretenses.” He and his wife then issued statements about “journalist encroachment” in their private lives and said they had done nothing wrong. -- Best Regards, *Khmer Forum* *A place for sharing community events and public news.* -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. This is an unmoderated forum. Please refrain from using foul language. Thank you for your understanding. Peace among us and in Cambodia. To post to this group, send email to camdisc@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to camdisc-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/camdisc Learn more - http://www.cambodia.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Cambodia Discussion (CAMDISC) - www.cambodia.org" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to camdisc+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
