Panama Papers 'Source' Breaks Their Silence
The person thought to be responsible for the biggest data leak in history says they are willing to co-operate with authorities.
Friday 6 May 2016 17:28, UK
A person thought to be behind the Panama Papers data leak has written for the first time about why they made the revelations.
The source, whose identity and gender remain secret, denied working for any government or intelligence agency, maintaining "my viewpoint is entirely my own".
The leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca had triggered a "new, encouraging global debate", said the source.
The apparent source blamed banks, tax authorities, the media and, most of all, the legal profession, for effectively promoting "economic slavery" and "a complete erosion of ethical standards".
The UK's various island territories were "unquestionably the cornerstone of institutional corruption worldwide", the source said.
The words were carried by several newspapers, including Suddeutsche Zeitung, the German national which initially dealt with the whistleblower.
"Shell companies are often associated with the crime of tax evasion," the source wrote.
"But the Panama Papers show beyond a shadow of a doubt that although shell companies are not illegal, by definition they are used to carry out a wide array of serious crimes.
"Income inequality is one of the defining issues of our time."
The source said they would be willing to co-operate with law enforcement agencies to bring about prosecutions.
But they added: "That being said, I have watched as one after another, whistleblowers and activists in the United States and Europe have had their lives destroyed by the circumstances they find themselves in after shining a light on obvious wrongdoing.
"Decisions have been made that have spared the wealthy while focusing instead on reining in middle and low-income citizens."
The source blamed "hopelessly backward and inefficient courts" and said judges had "acquiesced to the arguments of the rich".
Lawyers were "well trained in honouring the letter of the law, while simultaneously doing everything in their power to desecrate its spirit."
"The collective impact of these failures has been a complete erosion of ethical standards, ultimately leading to a novel system we still call capitalism, but which is tantamount to economic slavery.
"It signals that democracy’s checks and balances have all failed, that the breakdown is systemic, and that severe instability could be just around the corner.
"So now is the time for real action, and that starts with asking questions."