After the Panama Papers, here are the Pandora Papers. Several politicians, including the Czech prime minister, the king of Jordan and the presidents of Kenya and Ecuador, have hidden assets in offshore companies, specifically for purposes of tax evasion, according to an investigation published on Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). .

The investigation, dubbed the “Pandora Papers”, to which nearly 600 journalists contributed, relies on some 11.9 million documents, which come from 14 financial services companies, and uncovered more than 29,000 offshore companies.

King of Jordan, Czech Prime Minister, President

According to these documents, King Abdullah II of Jordan created at least thirty offshore companies, that is, in countries or regions with favorable taxation. Through these entities, he purchased 14 luxury properties in the United States and the United Kingdom for over $106 million.

For the Czech prime minister, Lady Babis, he placed $22 million in front companies, which were used to purchase the Bigaud palace, a large estate located in Mougins in the south of France. Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has deposited funds into two trusts headquartered in the United States in South Dakota.

In all, the ICIJ has established links between offshore assets and 336 top executives and politicians who have created nearly 1,000 companies, more than two-thirds of which are in the British Virgin Islands.

Tony Blair and DSK

Also appearing are former British prime minister Tony Blair, who completed the purchase of real estate in London through a company abroad, and former French minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

According to documents reviewed by ICIJ, the former managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) passed several million dollars in consulting fees to companies through a tax-exempt Moroccan company.

In most countries, these facts cannot be prosecuted. But in the case of politicians, the ICIJ parallels the anti-corruption speeches conducted by some of them with their investments in tax havens.

Also quoted by Shakira or Claudia Schiffer

Personalities on display include Colombian singer Shakira, German model Claudia Schiffer or Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Established in 1997 by the American Center for Public Integrity, ICIJ became an independent entity in 2017. Its network includes 280 investigative journalists in more than 100 countries and territories, as well as some 100 media partners.

The ICIJ became known in early April 2016 with the publication of the “Panama Papers”, an investigation based on approximately 11.5 million documents from a Panamanian law firm.