Mossack Fonseca, the offshore law firm behind the Panama Papers, is dead. The Panamanian firm that gained international notoriety two years ago when its internal database was leaked, revealing decades of questionable business practices that facilitated money laundering, corruption, bribery and tax evasion, will close its remaining offices by the end of the month. According to a statement obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the firm blamed the Panama Papers scandal for its demise. “The reputational deterioration, the media campaign, the financial siege and the irregular actions of some Panamanian authorities have caused irreparable damage, whose obligatory consequence is the total cessation of operations to the public,” the statement said. The firm also said it would “continue to call for justice” and would cooperate with authorities to “demonstrate that no crime has been committed.”

Source: thestar March 15, 2018 16:30 UTC