Panama Papers probes moving forward

The principal partners of the Mossack Fonseca law firm whose tax dodging activities were unveiled in the Panama Papers have been called to face investigators of money laundering and spin-off probes in other countries have been initiated.

The Second Prosecutor’s Office against Organized Crime has charged Jurgen Mossack and Ramón Fonseca Mora,  founding partners of the firm, Mora, and also ordered the investigation of Edison Teano, an employee of the law firm.

The order of inquiry is based on judicial assistance from Germany, which has information on a company of an entrepreneur from that country, which was managed by Mossack Fonseca.

The three have jointly filed a writ of habeas corpus because they fear that the prosecutor’s office is going to order them to be held in preventive custody, once they appear to file a preliminary statement.

The habeas corpus was lodged in the Supreme Court on December 21.

Meanwhile, the defense of  Ramsés Owens another implicated lawyer has requested the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to summon the full body, to discuss two writs of habeas corpus filed in favor of the lawyer. , who is detained for alleged money laundering through companies formed by Mossack Fonseca.

Owens has been detained since December 6  and the writs of habeas corpus seeking his release were presented on December 10.

The Organized Crime Prosecutor is advancing in a new phase of the investigation, related to the corporate structure created by Mossack Fonseca.

The Public Ministry reported that the detection production of false contracts; fraudulent bank accounts; and the administration of funds “through irregular fiduciary services, to conceal the identity of the controllers, linked to illicit activities”.

Sources say the case reaches 26 people for alleged money laundering is being investigated.

The Seventh Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office also has Owens under investigation for another case of alleged money laundering through the defunct brokerage  Financial Pacific and the Jal Offshore company.

Meanwhile, The US Department of Justice accused Owens of tax fraud, money laundering and other crimes related to the role he played through the Mossack Fonseca firm for which he could face up to 70 years in jail.