The report did not specify when the data was released, but said Geneva prosecutors led a police raid of Mossack Fonseca's local office in which computer equipment was seized. The law firm's local office did not respond to calls or an e-mail seeking comment. The Geneva prosecutor's office confirmed to The Associated Press that a criminal investigation led by state prosecutor Claudio Mascotto has been opened following a complaint by Mossack Fonseca, but declined further comment. Owning an offshore company is not necessarily illegal, but is often used to evade or avoid taxes, launder money and make bribes. The revelations could foment new speculation about the mysterious source of the so-called "Panama Papers" leak, in which a person gave a German newspaper a huge trove of data detailing the owners and clients of thousands of offshore entities.

Source: New Zealand Herald June 15, 2016 15:33 UTC