– Fresh evidence have emerged to negate claims by Senator David Mark regarding the Panama Papers

This is as a a series of leaked documents have emerged, negating claims by the senator absolving himself of accusations regarding his owning eight offshore companies.

It would be recalled that Premium Times had on Tuesday, April 5 exposed David Mark as operating shell companies in tax havens while being a public official in Nigeria, a violation of the country’s code of conduct law.

However, the former Senate president denied owning any of the companies linked to him in the British Virgin Islands, a notorious tax haven, claiming this newspaper’s  reporting was politically-motivated and calculated at tarnishing his image.

“We reiterate categorically that he is not directly or indirectly connected to any of the companies registered, operated or managed by the Mossack Fonseca Law Firm,” the lawmaker said through a statement by his spokesperson, Paul Mumeh.

“We challenge all those behind this propaganda and media outburst to prove or show that Senator Mark’s name was mentioned in the leaks.”


But in response to the lawmaker’s challenge, Premium Times haS said it is now making public documents that strongly establish the links between him and the companies listed against his name in the Mossack Fonseca database.

The documents include a due diligence report submitted to Mossack Fonseca by Helms Trust Company, a Jersey based firm, a reference letter written by an associate of Mr Mark to the Panamanian law firm authenticating his identity, a copy of Mr Mark’s valid passport at the time, electricity bill receipt of the former senate president’s home in his native Otukpo as well as his official letterhead.

Senator David Mark had been mentioned alongside prominent Nigerians like Senator Bukola Saraki and James Ibori as those who had companies operating in the notorious tax havens.

A huge treasure of secret documents from the notorious Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca was made public on Sunday, April 3, revealing an immense web of offshore shell companies used by members of the global elite to evade taxes, hoard money, and skirt economic sanctions.

The so-called Panama Papers exposed the offshore holdings of 12 incumbent and former world leaders and discloses how allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin secretly deverted as much as $2 billion through banks and shadow companies.

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed to investigate prominent Nigerians and government officials who are named as having secret foreign accounts or foreign firms that allow them to escape paying tax as contained in PanamaPapers