Zelensky and the Pandora Papers
On the great world chessboard, pawns are often the first to be sacrificed… but in reality, one hopes the game will never be over.
Some cannot help feeling compassion for the pawn Zelensky, forced to justify his outfit or his piano performances while his people are being massacred. We should not, however, lapse into naivety and forget how he entered the dance.
For most people, Zelensky appeared as a hero the day the Russians set foot in Ukraine. That, however, is a rather short memory. Behind this carefully constructed image lies a much more nuanced reality.
Pandora Papers
The Pandora Papers[1][2] are a leak of some 11.9 million documents revealing fraud and tax evasion on a very large scale, together with the verification and synthesis carried out in autumn 2021 through collaborative investigative journalism by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
Several thousand politicians, religious figures, public figures and monarchs are identified in them, including three hundred public officials, thirty-five heads of state (some of them populists who had sworn to fight corruption) and one hundred and thirty billionaires directly implicated.
The ICIJ notes that “ many of the power players who could help bring an end to the offshore system instead benefit from it, stashing assets in covert companies and trusts while their governments do little to slow a global stream of illicit money that enriches criminals and impoverishes nations ”.
Zelensky and offshore companies
This investigation had also revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several members of his entourage held assets in offshore companies.
According to the documents leaked at the time, Zelensky and his associates allegedly used a complex network of offshore companies to manage their assets, including luxury property in London. These revelations had already raised many questions about the transparency and integrity of the Ukrainian government, even as the country had been fighting corruption for several years.
The Ukrainian president, elected in 2019 on a promise to fight corruption, thus found himself in a delicate position. Although owning offshore companies is not illegal in itself, it raised ethical questions, especially where senior politicians were concerned.
Zelensky’s entourage, including several members of his current administration, was also named in the Pandora Papers. Among them were close aides who allegedly took advantage of this offshore network to protect their assets.
Media amnesia?
Yet in 2021 the Pandora Papers revelations were widely covered by the press:
- Le Monde published an article on 4 October 2021 mentioning that Mr Zelensky was also singled out in these revelations.
- Le Figaro ran an article on 3 October 2021 entitled “ Pandora Papers: several heads of state and government implicated ”, stating that the Ukrainian president, who had built his image on the fight against corruption, had allegedly set up offshore structures.
- The RTBF covered the Pandora Papers revelations, including the information about Volodymyr Zelensky, in its news bulletins.
- Le Soir took part in the Pandora Papers investigations and published detailed articles on the figures involved, including the Ukrainian president.
- Radio-Canada broadcast reports on the Pandora Papers, covering the implications for various politicians, including Zelensky.
Curiously, with the exception of Le Figaro and Le Monde, the articles cited above have disappeared from the internet.
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In French, Courrier International[4], La Libre[5] and L’Humanité[6] are still accessible.
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Why did some media outlets that unanimously applauded this remarkable journalistic work in 2021 suddenly lose their “Papers” in 2022?
Before continuing to send billions to the man who claims to have received only half of what was supposed to be sent to him[7], it might be worth knowing what the pawn Zelensky is hiding
BAM!
[1] Pandora Papers Reveal Offshore Holdings of Ukrainian President and his Inner Circle | OCCRP
[2] Pandora Papers — Wikipédia
[3] https://www.befr.ebay.be/sch/i.html?_nkw=le+monde+4+octobre+2021&_trksid=p4432023.m4084.l1313
[4] Le président ukrainien Zelensky dans la tourmente des Pandora Papers
[5] Des dirigeants se défendent après les accusations des Pandora Papers - La Libre
[6] Ukraine : Volodymyr Zelensky piégé par les Pandora Papers - L’Humanité
[7] BRICS News on X: "JUST IN: Ukrainian President Zelensky says Ukraine only received around $75 billion of the $177 billion in aid sent by the United States. "I don’t know where all this money is." https://t.co/O5EVwkFAt0" / X
