Bahamian leaks provide more ammunition for HMRC

Leaks about offshore companies in the Bahamas have been published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. It has also publicised details from the Bahamas corporate registry creating for the first time a free online public database of offshore companies set up on the islands.

The document provides names of directors and some owners of more than 175 000 Bahamian companies trusts and foundations registered between 1990 and early 2016. The leaked files reveal details of the offshore activities of prime ministers ministers princes and criminals.

They also include the names of 539 registered agents. Among them is Mossack Fonseca whose leaked files formed the basis of the Panama papers. The law firm set up 15 915 entities in the Bahamas making the jurisdiction its third busiest.

The Offshore Leaks Database now contains information on about 500 000 entities linked...