Keyword: Panama

New twist in Sarkozy-Libyan funding case after arrest of key former aide

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Thierry Gaubert at the court in Nanterre, west of Paris, in 2012 in an unrelated case. © Reuters Thierry Gaubert at the court in Nanterre, west of Paris, in 2012 in an unrelated case. © Reuters

In January 2020 Thierry Gaubert, a former close aide to Nicolas Sarkozy, was arrested and then placed under formal investigation for “criminal conspiracy” in relation to claims that the former president's 2007 election campaign was funded with Libyan money. Gaubert is now free on bail, but banned from meeting with either Sarkozy or the ex-head of state's long-standing friend and ally Brice Hortefeux. As Fabrice Arfi and Karl Laske report, this move marks a major turning point in the long-running judge-led investigation.

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The secret payments made via Panama to former Gucci boss

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The former CEO of Gucci, Patrizio Di Marco, with his wife Frida Giannini. © Reuters The former CEO of Gucci, Patrizio Di Marco, with his wife Frida Giannini. © Reuters

The leading French luxury goods company Kering, owned by the ultra wealthy Pinault family, saved 39 million euros in tax by paying the former boss of its subsidiary Gucci via a company in Panama, according to documents obtained by Mediapart and shared with the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC). The French company also lied about its tax avoidance schemes to two separate investigations carried out by the French Senate. Yann Philippin investigates.

How chief prosecutor at International Criminal Court owned companies in tax havens

By and Sven Becker (DER SPIEGEL)
Luis Moreno Ocampo at the ICC in The Hague on March 3rd, 2011. © Jerry Lampen/Reuters Luis Moreno Ocampo at the ICC in The Hague on March 3rd, 2011. © Jerry Lampen/Reuters

Luis Moreno Ocampo managed companies based in some of the most notorious tax havens in the world while serving as chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, documents obtained by Mediapart and analysed by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) reveal. When challenged about his offshore financial activities the former star prosecutor said that his salary at the ICC “was not enough”. Mediapart's head of investigations Fabrice Arfi and Sven Becker of German publication Der Spiegel report.

The Panama connection in Cristiano Ronaldo's tax affairs

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Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo denies trying to evade taxes. © Reuters Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo denies trying to evade taxes. © Reuters

Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is threatening to leave Spain if its justice system proves too troublesome for him over his tax affairs. The Real Madrid star, who faces an investigation into alleged tax evasion, insists that he has acted in good faith and says that all his fiscal arrangements were authorised. To back this claim, he and his advisors point to the fact that the authorities in England had no problem with his fiscal set-up when he played for Manchester United. But according to new documents from the whistle-blowing platform Football Leaks, and revealed here by Mediapart, there are now question marks over this line of defence. Michaël Hajdenberg and Yann Philippin report.

Panama threatens France over blacklist move

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The Panamanian government has warned of retaliatory measures after France announced it will put Panama back on a tax haven blacklist.

France sends Manuel Noriega to Panama to serve 20 year jail term

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Drug-running former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega has been sent home from France to serve 20 years in jail for murders of political opponents.

French court approves Noriega extradition back to Panama

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A French court has ruled in favour of extraditing former dictator Manuel Noriega back to Panama to serve time for corruption and murder convictions.

France to extradite Manuel Noriega to Panama

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France has confirmed it will extradite Manuel Noriega to Panama, where he is wanted over human rights violations during his rule in the 1980s.