Pandora Papers will lift secrecy on unexplained wealth, President Uhuru says
President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for an audit of all secret offshore accounts after featuring in a huge leak of financial documents from offshore companies.
This comes barely a day after him and his family were named in the Pandora papers as owning offshore accounts and assets.
The Head of State says the reports will enhance the financial transparency and openness required in the country and globally.
“The Pandora Papers and subsequent follow-up audits will lift that veil of secrecy and darkness for those who cannot explain their assets or wealth,” Kenyatta said.
“That these reports will go a long way in enhancing the financial transparency and openness that we require in Kenya and around the globe. The movement of illicit funds, proceeds of crime and corruption thrive in an environment of secrecy and darkness.”
The leaked report alleges that Kenyatta’s family is linked to 13 offshore companies holding more than Sh3.3 billion.
However, the report did not disclose the sources of the funds nor wrongdoing of any kind on the account holder.
However, Kenyatta said that he will respond comprehensively to the claims after his US trip where will address the UN General Assembly whose chairmanship Kenya has assumed.
“My attention has been drawn to comments surrounding the Pandora Papers. Whilst I will respond comprehensively on my return from my State Visit to America,” he said.
The massive leak of financial documents was published by several major news organizations on Sunday that allegedly tie 35 world leaders to secret stores of wealth, including King Abdullah of Jordan, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jordan’s King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein have denied the wrongdoing.
Jordan’s royal palace said it was “not unusual nor improper” that King Abdullah owned property abroad.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile questioned the reliability of the “unsubstantiated” information, after it detailed hidden wealth linked to President Putin and members of his inner circle.
“For now it is just not clear what this information is and what it is about,” he told reporters, adding that “we didn’t see any hidden wealth of Putin’s inner circle in there,” he said.
Reuters reports that the dump comprises more than 11.9 million records, amounting to about 2.94 terabytes of data.
However, it did not say how the files were obtained, and Reuters could not independently verify the allegations or documents detailed by the consortium.
