'Panama Papers' trial to begin eight years after tax scandal
money laundering in connection with the «Panama Papers» tax evasion scandal, which revealed how many of the world's wealthy stashed assets in offshore companies.
The 2016 revelations rocked governments, exposed high-profile personalities, triggered scores of investigations around the world and dealt a blow to Panama's reputation as an offshore financial hub.
The defendants due to go on trial in a Panamanian criminal court include Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca Mora, the founders of the now-defunct law firm at the center of the scandal.
The leaked trove of 11.5 million files from their company Mossack Fonseca implicated influential figures including billionaires, politicians and even sports stars.
Icelandic prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson was forced to resign after it was revealed his family had offshore accounts.
Then Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified for life from office after being implicated in the documents.
Others implicated included former British premier David Cameron, football star Lionel Messi, Argentina's then president Mauricio Macri, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar, to name but a few.
The files were leaked to a German newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
Many of those caught up in the scandal put forward reasons to explain their offshore presence and said they did not act illegally.
Even so, Mossack Fonseca said in 2018 that
