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The cell phones were infected with porn.
2004. Eight years later, a former hired MF to set up an offshore THE LAW FIRM MOSSACK whole concept behind a shell
top official of Haiti’s state- company called 3DK Consultant FONSECA. company is you cannot figure
owned telecommunications was Corp. in the British Virgin Islands. out who ultimately controls the
convicted at trial of accepting The idyllic island chain is known In 2008, 3DK was able to open a company or who is deriving
bribes from Miami vendors that as one of the world’s least savings account with Credicorp economic benefits from it.”
sold phone minutes for mobile transparent offshore havens. It that required a minimum $10,000
phone customers in Haiti. Other is impossible to tell who owns a deposit. Later that year, the THE PANAMA PAPERS
defendants were also convicted in BVI company without access to company received a corporate HIGHLIGHT HOW EASY IT IS FOR
related cases. One of the Miami- confidential, internal documents. credit card from Credicorp. CRIMINALS AND FRAUDSTERS
based defendants in the Aruba The other shareholders of the Koolman also sought to open a TO MANIPULATE THE GLOBAL
case, Chung-Wen “Benny” Wu, company were Koolman’s ex- third account with the bank but FINANCIAL SYSTEM.
denied any connection to illegal wife, Evarina Xiomara Deborah it’s not clear if that happened. The
activity after being reached on his Koolman, and their two children. documents do not show whether Shruti Shah, Transparency
cell phone. “We were just doing Koolman and his wife, who Koolman moved money into those International USA: She pointed
business,” said Wu, who runs was formerly employed by the accounts. Koolman also traveled to the discoveries made by
Doral-based Bengo Mobile and Central Bank of Aruba, divorced the world during this time, journalists investigating the
is a principal of Fellow Trading. “I last summer. Koolman, as is according to a copy of his passport papers, which led to the
don’t know why they sue me. We common in the offshore world, requested by MF in 2012 as part resignation of the Prime Minister
were just a vendor for Setar. None was extremely vague about the of a background check. Entry of Iceland, as well as government
of this is true. It is ridiculous.” purpose of the company. In an stamps and visas show frequent inquiries around the world, as
application form to MF, he wrote trips to Hong Kong and the Dutch evidence of the need for offshore
NONE OF THIS IS TRUE. IT IS simply: “The corporation’s object Caribbean island of Curaçao, with havens to adopt more transparent
RIDICULOUS. shall be to perform any and all other stops in Miami, Panama corporate laws. Another result
activities in the broadest sense of a City, Singapore and China. In of the leak: Mossack Fonseca
Chung-Wen “Benny” Wu: He said professional consultant services, 2015, after receiving an invoice, founders Ramon Fonseca and
he mainly spoke to Koolman on such as technical support, Koolman’s ex-wife emailed an MF Jurgen Mossack were arrested
the phone, had only met him a few product sales and marketing employee saying 3DK Consultant and refused bail in Panama City
times at trade shows in Las Vegas consultant, trading consultant, had not been used in several in February. Their firm, one of
and was never offered any under- business coaching consultant years. She requested to meet with the world’s largest providers of
the-table deals. Wu’s company etc.” MF employees did not ask MF in Panama City to discuss offshore corporate services, has
imports cell phones from Europe, him to elaborate, according to the shutting the company down. consistently denied wrongdoing.
China and Hong Kong and then leaked documents. While in Panama, she made time Panamanian prosecutors charged
sells them to providers in the to take in a Marc Antony concert, the pair with money laundering
Caribbean. Another defendant The firm generally did not appear emails show. in relation to the international
in the lawsuit, Max Rivadeneira, to ask many questions about corruption scandal known as Lava
did not return messages sent clients, despite know-your- However, the company remained Jato that is sweeping Brazil and
via social media. Rivadeneira is customer, anti-money laundering active, according to MF internal other Latin American countries,
an officer and principal of two of rules, according to a review of its records. (The Herald could not according to Panamanian
Setar’s former suppliers, ITech massive internal documentation locate Evarina Koolman for newspaper La Prensa. The
and TTX. He also had affiliations conducted by nearly 400 comment.) allegations concern bribes
with three other Miami-based journalists worldwide and led by allegedly paid by multinational
vendors that collectively sold ICIJ. Mossack has defended its Murky offshore world: The Panama engineering firm Odebrecht to
more than $23 million in mobile due diligence practices since the Papers leak has been crucial to politicians in the region. “The
phone equipment to Setar, Panama Papers stories broke in the public’s understanding of the money originating from [the
according to the suit. Rivadeneira April 2016, saying the firm follows murky offshore world, said Shruti corruption] circulated among
now operates a South Florida all laws and regulations required Shah, a forensic accountant and different companies to then
company called Soul Obsession of offshore service providers. vice president of Transparency return laundered to Panama,” the
that produces custom-made, eco- Eventually, Koolman’s company International USA, an anti- nation’s attorney general Kenia
friendly yoga mats, according to used 3DK Consultant to open a corruption nonprofit group. Law Porcell said in a statement about
its website. (Prices start at $69.) corporate checking account at the enforcement officials and the arrests posted online.
A third defendant, Larry Parker, Panama branch of Lima-based creditors can rarely peer behind
could not be reached. Parker is Credicorp Bank, emails show. the veil to see who really controls Last week, MF’s attorneys
the registered agent and officer offshore companies, making them submitted a habeas corpus motion
of ISky, Quantum and I-GSM and THE PANAMA PAPERS WERE ripe for use in political corruption, to a Panamanian judge asking for
was affiliated through his mother embezzlement and corporate the release of Mossack, Fonseca
with ITech, the suit said. They are A GLOBAL COLLABORATION bribery schemes. “The Panama and a third jailed employee of the
all former vendors for Setar. Papers highlight how easy it is firm.
OF NEARLY 400 JOURNALISTS for criminals and fraudsters to
The offshore angle: Mossack manipulate the global financial MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Fonseca documents included in AROUND THE WORLD LED system and use the secrecy WRITER CHABELI HERRERA
the Panama Papers’ leak confirm afforded by these anonymous CONTRIBUTED TO THIS
Koolman was a player in the BY THE INTERNATIONAL companies to benefit from their REPORT
offshore world. In 2006, Koolman ill-gotten gains,” Shah said. “The
CONSORTIUM OF
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS.
THEY ANALYZED 11.5 MILLION
LEAKED DOCUMENTS FROM
