Panama Papers name 18 prominent Africans

Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori was among the 18 high-profile Africans named in a massive data leak exposing the financial activities of some of the world’s rich and famous and their use of tax havens.  Four offshore companies connected to Ibori are named in the Panama Papers – one of which was used […]

Former governor of Delta State, James Ibori was among the 18 high-profile Africans named in a massive data leak exposing the financial activities of some of the world’s rich and famous and their use of tax havens. 
Four offshore companies connected to Ibori are named in the Panama Papers – one of which was used to buy a $20m (£14m) private jet.
More than 11 million documents, known as the Panama Papers, were leaked by an unknown source at one world’s most secretive companies, Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca.
The documents reveal that Mossack Fonseca assisted companies and individuals to utilise tax havens in numerous ways.
For some – such as Sudan’s former President Ahmad Ali al-Mirghani, Kenya’s Deputy Chief Justice Kalpana Rawal or ex-UN chief Kofi Annan’s son Kojo Annan – offshore companies were used to buy and sell expensive real estate in London.
Mounir Majidi, the king of Morocco’s personal secretary, used an offshore company to buy a luxury yacht in 2006 – a transaction that Mr Majidi’s lawyers maintain is above board.
South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma’s nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, is named as a representative of two offshore companies that acquired oil fields in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2010.
Some of those named have previously been found guilty of money laundering activities and are serving time.