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Panama Papers: Argentina President Macri to go before judge | |
(about 7 hours later) | |
Argentine President Mauricio Macri has pledged to assert his innocence when he appears before a federal prosecutor on Friday to explain his finances. | |
An investigation began on Thursday after it transpired Mr Macri was mentioned in the Panama Papers, leaked files of law firm Mossack Fonseca. | An investigation began on Thursday after it transpired Mr Macri was mentioned in the Panama Papers, leaked files of law firm Mossack Fonseca. |
Mr Macri said he would file a judicial "declaration of certainty" so the court can see he is telling the truth. | |
In a televised address, he vowed to prove he had done nothing wrong. | |
According to local media reports, the president was listed as director of an offshore company in the Bahamas. | |
He said he wanted to co-operate fully with any inquiry. | He said he wanted to co-operate fully with any inquiry. |
"I know there are some people concerned about these allegations in the Panama Papers that have come out and involve me," he said. | "I know there are some people concerned about these allegations in the Panama Papers that have come out and involve me," he said. |
"I want to say one more time that I am very calm, I have complied with the law, I have told the truth and I have nothing to hide." | "I want to say one more time that I am very calm, I have complied with the law, I have told the truth and I have nothing to hide." |
Change ahead- Mauricio Macri's vision for Argentina | |
Argentine 'tornado' Macri woos Obama | Argentine 'tornado' Macri woos Obama |
Mr Macri said that he had made clear in his initial declaration that he did not have any shares and did not receive any payment for acting as a director of offshore companies. | |
His office has insisted that he had no shares in the company in question and never received any income from it. | |
Argentina's national tax authority and anti-corruption office will be asked to provide information to the inquiry. | Argentina's national tax authority and anti-corruption office will be asked to provide information to the inquiry. |
Prosecutor Federico Delgado said he wanted to determine if Mr Macri had "omitted, with malicious intent" mentioning his reported role in the Bahamas-registered offshore company Fleg Trading. | Prosecutor Federico Delgado said he wanted to determine if Mr Macri had "omitted, with malicious intent" mentioning his reported role in the Bahamas-registered offshore company Fleg Trading. |
More on the Panama Papers | More on the Panama Papers |
La Nacion, one of the newspapers examining some of the leaked documents, reported that Mr Macri was listed as a director of Fleg Trading from 1998 until 2009. | |
Mr Macri did not list the company in his 2007 financial declaration, when he became mayor of Buenos Aires, or in his 2015 declaration when he became president. | Mr Macri did not list the company in his 2007 financial declaration, when he became mayor of Buenos Aires, or in his 2015 declaration when he became president. |
On Tuesday, Mr Macri's office confirmed that a business group owned by the president's family had set up an offshore company through the law firm at the centre of the Panama Papers scandal. | On Tuesday, Mr Macri's office confirmed that a business group owned by the president's family had set up an offshore company through the law firm at the centre of the Panama Papers scandal. |
But his office argued that because he had never received any income from it there had been no reason to mention it in the financial declarations. | But his office argued that because he had never received any income from it there had been no reason to mention it in the financial declarations. |
Mr Macri campaigned on a promise to combat corruption. | Mr Macri campaigned on a promise to combat corruption. |
Leaks continue to make waves | |
Meanwhile, Panama's vice-president and foreign minister, Isabel De Saint Malo, has defended her country, saying it had been unfairly singled out. | |
Speaking to the BBC, she said: "This publication has information on many jurisdictions, over twenty-one jurisdictions where banks are based - and not one bank is based in Panama...So this has made Panama in a wrong and bad way the focus of attention in the world." | |
Elsewhere: | |
Panama Papers - tax havens of the rich and powerful exposed | Panama Papers - tax havens of the rich and powerful exposed |