President François Hollande promised on Monday that the so-called "Panama Papers" would lead to legal proceedings in France, reports TeleSUR.
The French government will seek access to the documents behind the Panama Papers revelations about potential offshore tax evasion and will punish tax evaders, the finance ministry said Monday, echoing earlier comments by President François Hollande.
"In application of the tax conventions with its partners, France will seek the transmission of the 'Panama Papers' data," finance minister Michel Sapin said in a statement. He added that once authorities have acquired and verified the information, the government will review the individuals concerned and apply potential penalties, notably for non-declared foreign bank accounts and shell companies.
Hollande said earlier Monday that the Panama Papers revelations were good news that would help boost tax revenues. He thanked "the whistleblowers" for bringing the perpetrators to light.