Panama Papers leaker singles out John Key

There is something very, very wrong with the collective psychology if it can continue to ignore the egregious corruption in this country and the open lies of its prime minister.

I have said so since before the last election.

Panama Papers leaker targets John Key

Patrick Gower

Newshub,

7 May, 2016

The Panama Papers leaker has gone public, singling out New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Calling themself "John Doe", the person behind the biggest leak or hack of all time has released an 1800 word statement.

They refer to "issues that need fixing", and say: "Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand has been curiously quiet about his country's role in enabling the financial fraud Mecca that is the Cook Islands."

The statement refers to just one international leader - Mr Key.

It does not include any details of direct personal involvement by Mr Key.

Titled "The Revolution Will Be Digitized" the statement gives justification for the leak, saying that "income inequality is one of the defining issues of our time" and says that government authorities need to do more to address it.

The leak is mostly believed to be a hack.

"John Doe" says that there is no link with any international spy agency and offers to cooperate with the relevant authorities.

The statement was issued to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists -- and the source's identity has been verified by them.

The Panama Papers are due to be released in a searchable database on Tuesday at 6am.

Newshub.

And the deluge of details showing NZ is a tax haven has begun – where’s your messiah John Key now National voters?

Who would want vengeance on the Prime Minister of NZ with the skills to hack?

Oh. Dear.

Remember, John Key and the National Party scream they have not turned NZ into a Tax Haven.

Remember that when you read this…

• A Mexican construction tycoon dubbed the ‘Duke of Influence’ joined a rush of foreign money into tax-free New Zealand trusts.
• Juan Armando Hinojosa Cantu, who built his fortune from billions of dollars in Mexican government contracts, was investigated for lavish housing deals with Mexican political figures.
• On July 1 last year, Cantu’s Miami lawyer said his client had “circa $US100 million” to put into three New Zealand trusts.
• Maltese investors who had been turned away from nine banks in the Caribbean, Miami and Panama eventually found a home for their money in New Zealand trusts.
• Demand for New Zealand trusts went into overdrive late last year with Mossack Fonseca staff in Panama urging New Zealand staff to “chase the money”.

…Where’s your messiah John Key now National Party voters? How can you now pretend to have any moral or ethical high ground when voting National? How can you pretend Key hasn’t built a Tax Haven? When do you accept he rules for the rich, not for you?

Surely an inflated property portfolio isn’t worth this shame is it?

And there is so much more to come. The special attention that John Doe has given John Key suggests this hack is personal...

Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand has been curiously quiet about his country’s role in enabling the financial fraud Mecca that is the Cook Islands.

Who would want vengeance on the Prime Minister of NZ with the skills to hack?

Vengeance is a dish served best about half way through the next election cycle.

John Key’s reputation is being damaged, and he’s damaging our credibility globally. This is now a real problem for National. NZers have a Flight of the Concords cultural cringe, in that they don’t have the self confidence to make a decision on their own so just follow the herd, but the second the external world notices us and says something, we all immediately nod our heads.

If the rest of the planet is now calling us a Tax Haven, the bovine nature of NZers collective political apathy violently counter-corrects and stampedes the other way.

Mass surveillance lies, dirty politics tricks and now the builder of tax havens – at some point Key’s continued support becomes a reflection on those who vote for him. If you are not angry by all of this, you are part of the problem.

We must have a full Royal Commission of Inquiry now!

Key responds to Panama Papers source

The anonymous leaker of the Panama Papers is confused about the New Zealand Prime Minister's responsibilities, John Key says.

Mr Key has responded to a claim by the leaker of the Panama Papers that he had been "curiously quiet" about New Zealand's role in enabling the "financial fraud Mecca" of the Cook Islands.

Watch John Key respond to claims made about him by the leaker of the Panama Papers.

Govt had to know about Pacific tax havens -- Peters

New Zealand First Leader, Winston Peters, says the Government must know tax avoidance is occurring in Pacific nations through the use of offshore trusts.

Newshub,

7 May, 2016

To watch video GO HERE

It follows a statement from the anonymous leaker behind the Panama Papers this morning which singles out Prime Minister John Key for being "curiously quiet" about Cook Island tax affairs. It also says that in Niue, Mossack Fonseca has essentially run "a tax haven from start to finish".

Mr Key is the only world leader to be named in the 1800 word manifesto by the whistle-blower, who goes under the pseudonym John Doe.

"Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand has been curiously quiet about his country's role in enabling the financial fraud Mecca that is the Cook Islands," says the leaker.

A database of information from the Panama Papers is due to be released in a searchable digital format on Tuesday at 6am titled: "The Revolution Will Be Digitized".

Mr Peters told The Nation the statement shows John Key had to know that tax avoidance through foreign trusts was occurring in Pacific nations, and he expects more revelations to come.

"If you come from Merrill Lynch and pose as a financial wiz kid you would surely be expected to know more than most," he says

Mr Peters also says the mention of the Prime Minister by the whistle-blower is an indication of where the scandal is set to unfold in this part of the world.

"[New Zealand's] positioned here in the South Pacific, giving aid to countries who [are] at the same time running tax haven utilities or using all sorts of fancy phrases for cheating and fraud and money laundering."

Labour deputy leader Annette King says John Key is "donkey deep" in the area of foreign tax havens.

She says the Prime Minister is "very much in favour of foreign tax havens in New Zealand" and adds it's "disgusting" New Zealand allows people to avoid tax obligations in their own countries by keeping their money here.

"What would we think if New Zealanders were putting their money somewhere else and avoiding tax here in New Zealand when they take all the services; the health, the education, the roads, etc?"

Ms King adds the government must have a "full, independent inquiry" and scrap the one currently set up that's being led by John Shewan.

The kiwi at the Head of the Centre for Public Integrity, Peter Bale, says John Key being singled out is a 'bolt from the blue'.

He says New Zealand's trust laws are considered a "soft touch".

"NZ trust law has been very open to abuse and used by people setting up both legal and presumably illegal; shell companies,"

"Many other places in the pacific have been used over time and the leaker identifies Niue in here and really says that Mossack Fonseca was involved in the writing of legislation to aid and abet what it was trying to do in terms of shell companies around the world."

Mr Bale says while New Zealand doesn't have control of pacific islands tax policy, New Zealand does have a lot of influence.

He adds the Prime Minister's links to trust lawyer Ken Whitney and Mr Key's comments inferring the Panama papers are a cyber-security threat are striking.

In a statement to Newshub a spokesperson for the Prime Minister says the Government will consider the Panama papers once they are released in full.

"The Government has always said it will consider any issues raised in relation to New Zealand's foreign trust rules and investigate whether any practical improvements could be made," says Mr Key's spokesperson.

They added a review of the disclosure rules around foreign trusts is already underway and the Government is participating in the OECD's ongoing work around addressing international tax issues.

Newshub.