Iceland’s Prime Minister Resigns in Aftermath of Panama Papers Leak | Sojourners

Iceland’s Prime Minister Resigns in Aftermath of Panama Papers Leak

Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson. Image via Control Arms / flickr.com

The prime minister of Iceland, Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, who was named in the leak of documents from the offshore law firm Mossack Fonseca, has resigned, according to Buzzfeed News.

The massive leak, known as the “Panama Papers,” implicated multiple world leaders and over one hundred politicians for their tax-avoiding offshore companies.

According to Buzzfeed News:

The documents purport to detail how Iceland’s Prime Minister hid millions of dollars in his country’s banks through a secret Virgin Islands company called, Wintris, the ICIJ reported.

That company allegedly owned $4 million in bonds in three major Icelandic banks, which were bailed out.

Gunnlaugsson had served as prime minister since 2013, and did not declare he had a holding interest in the offshore company when he entered the parliament in 2009, the ICIJ reported.

Huge crowds turned out April 5 to protest Gunnlaugsson, as can be seen in the tweets below:

When a journalist asked Gunnlaugsson about Wintris during a video interview, he walked out. Watch below: