The Panama Papers have been bad news for leaders around the world. But for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, the timing of their release couldn’t be better. Tonight, Edward Snowden will speak via web link to a packed audience at a soldout event on big data, security and human rights, according to Metro News in Canada.
The papers are leaked documents from Mossack Fonseca, a law firm in Panama which helps large corporations and wealthy individuals launder money and avoid paying taxes. Yesterday, Iceland Prime Gunnlaugsson minister stormed out of an interview after being questioned about his accounts. Today, he resigned.In the UK, Prime Minister Cameron is facing questions about possible tax avoidance.
The Seattle Times reports that a Bellevue businessman named in the papers is already in federal custody for wire fraud and tax evasion convictions with what authorities said was a $65 million pyramid scheme.
Snowden has called the papers the “biggest leak in the history of data journalism.” So far, as Bustle notes, his Twitter coverage of the leak has avoided one person: Russian President Vladimir Putin – his host in temporary asylum but also linked by political friendship to figures with some $2 billion of accounts in the Panama Papers leak.
The event will be live streamed at SFU Public Square’s Youtube Channel starting 7 p.m. A first comment on Putin?
