German Justice Minister Heiko Maas is appealing to release the original Panama Papers and give it to the authorities in a newspaper interview.
Maas' appeal comes after the German newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung published the investigation on Panama Papers, that showed offshore firms amassing millions of money and avoid tax. Zeitung revealed that they received cache records of 11.5 million documents from Mossack Fonseca before they shared it to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), according to Reuters.
"The important documents should be submitted to the authorities. It would help bring justice," Maas explained to the German newspaper Tagesspiegel, Israel National News reported.
In relation to the growing investigation on Panama Papers, Maas also expressed his plan to bring a new new national transparency register that would compel offshore companies to reveal its real owners. The measure was a step to fight against financing of terrorism and tax evasion, Haaretz reports. Maas also warned banks that they could face legal action if they will not be true when it comes to finance and tax obligations.
"We must create transparency. The systematic cover-up must end. Shell companies, which still have an anonymous beneficial owner, must no longer be allowed," said Maas, saying he planned to expand Germany's money laundering law.
Meanwhile, according to a report by Daily Mail, the biggest tax evasion scandal in the history as revealed in the Panama Papers, include prominent names of sports stars, celebrities, politicians and famous people around the globe. Some of the names mentioned were Jackie Chan, Lionel Messi, Egypt's former president Hosni Mubarak, Libya's former leader Colonel Gaddafi, Syria's president Bashar al-Assad and Chinese president Xi Jinping. British politicians include Baroness Pamela Sharples, Lord Ashcroft, and former Tory MP Michael Mates.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is also among the politicians who is now under fire after his inner circle was revealed in the Panama Papers. King of Saudi Arabia, King Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, Argentina's president Mauricio Macri (left) and Ukraine's president Petro Poroshenko were also listed in the Panama scandal.
Maas reassured that lawyers and tax investigators were investigating on the evidences on the Panama Papers. He also claimed that Germany has been working on proposals to make banks and firms more transparent. Maas is planning to release a new set of sanctions if these firms violate any of the laws.
