Profile in Focus | The Panama Papers Part 13 (2021)
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Profile in Focus | The Panama Papers Part 13 (2021)
“Aishwarya Rai, actress, at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, March 31, 2023” by NMACC India under CC BY 4.0.
In 2021, the Panama Papers continued to make headlines and have a lasting impact on the global financial landscape. The year began with a judge rejecting a libel case brought by the Panama Papers law firm against Netflix over the film "The Laundromat." This decision upheld the freedom of expression and the right to expose wrongdoing.
In February, a major breakthrough occurred in the murder case of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who had been investigating corruption linked to the Panama Papers. A suspect pleaded guilty, raising hopes for justice and accountability in Malta.
However, questions remained about whether justice had truly been served, as discussed in a France 24 article. Many wondered if the full extent of the corruption exposed by Caruana Galizia's reporting would ever come to light.
In March, a secret guilty plea was revealed in the United States as part of the criminal probe into the Panama Papers. This highlighted the ongoing investigations and the efforts to hold individuals accountable for their involvement in offshore tax evasion.
Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the center of the Panama Papers, faced continued scrutiny. The Financial Times published an article shedding light on the firm and its role in facilitating illicit financial activities.
The European Union's response to the Panama Papers was also called into question. Despite the revelations and public outcry, the EU was criticized for failing to effectively tackle tax abuse, according to a report by euronews.
In April, it was reported that the recovery of unpaid taxes linked to the Panama Papers had surpassed $1.36 billion. This indicated progress in recouping lost revenue, but also highlighted the magnitude of the illicit financial activities exposed by the leak.
Journalists played a crucial role in exposing organized crime and revealing how elites used offshore banking, as discussed in a VOA News article. Their investigations and reporting continued to shed light on the hidden networks and practices revealed by the Panama Papers.
As the fifth anniversary of the Panama Papers approached, the impact of the leak was still being felt. Billions of dollars had been recovered, and several convictions had been secured, according to Le Monde.
The Washington Post published an article highlighting the challenge of recovering hidden wealth, emphasizing the vast amounts of money that remained beyond reach despite efforts to address offshore tax evasion.
In October, a new leak known as the Pandora Papers further exposed offshore structures and revealed the continued prevalence of illicit financial activities. The Panama law firm, Mossack Fonseca, was heavily implicated in these revelations, as reported by France 24.
While the Panama Papers continued to make waves, it was important to note that they were not directly responsible for the death of an independent journalist killed by a car bomb in Malta, as confirmed by USA Today.
The New Yorker provided an in-depth exploration of the secret offshore accounts of the global elite, revealing the intricate webs of financial secrecy and the lengths to which the wealthy went to hide their wealth.
The year also saw ongoing investigations into stock fraud and the exposure of one company that went out of business due to its involvement in the Panama Papers, as reported by the Miami Herald.
The year ended with an article by NDTV explaining the connection between the Panama Papers and Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, highlighting the global reach and impact of the leak.
Overall, the events surrounding the Panama Papers in 2021 demonstrated the ongoing efforts to uncover financial secrecy, hold individuals accountable, and address the systemic issues that allowed illicit financial activities to thrive. The leaks continued to reverberate around the world, prompting calls for transparency, justice, and reform in the global financial system.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on June 14, 2023
Previous: Profile in Focus | The Panama Papers Part 12 (2020)
Next: Profile in Focus | The Panama Papers Part 14 (2022)
Return to start: Profile in Focus | The Panama Papers
Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6: (2022+)
Sources for Profile in Focus | The Panama Papers Part 13 (2021):
Daphne Caruana Galizia murder: Suspect pleads guilty - BBC News February 23, 2021
Murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia: justice finally done in Malta? - France 24 February 25, 2021
Mossack Fonseca - Financial Times March 25, 2021
Panama Papers: Quebec recovers more in unpaid taxes than Ottawa - CBC | Radio Canada April 3, 2021
How Global Network of Journalists Helps Expose Organized Crime - VOA News April 26, 2021
Is It Still as Easy to Hide $1 Billion 5 Years After the Panama Papers? - Bloomberg Tax May 7, 2021
Daphne Caruana Galizia: Malta responsible for journalist death - inquiry - BBC News July 30, 2021
BILLIONS HIDDEN BEYOND REACH - The Washington Post October 3, 2021
Panama law firm heavily implicated in 'Pandora Papers' revelations - France 24 October 4, 2021
From Panama to the Pandora papers: what’s changed in offshore tax - Financial Times October 6, 2021
Uncovering the Secret Offshore Accounts of the Global Élite - The New Yorker November 4, 2021
Explained: The Panama Papers And Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - NDTV December 20, 2021