Iceland PM Resigns Over Panama Papers

Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson becomes the first casualty of the leaked papers following protests across Iceland.

19:57, UK, Tuesday 05 April 2016

Video: Iceland PM Quits Over Revelations

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Iceland's Prime Minister has stepped down after the Panama Papers reportedly linked him to an offshore company.

The leaked documents are said to show Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson and his wife owned a firm in the British Virgin Islands which held investments in Iceland's collapsed banks.
Thousands of demonstrators protested outside parliament in Reykjavik on Monday, throwing eggs, bananas and yoghurt and calling for him to stand down.

Thousands gathered outside the Icelandic parliament in Reykjavik

The opposition also called a vote of no-confidence in the government, saying Mr Gunnlaugsson's reported offshore dealings amounted to a major conflict of interest.
Ahead of the vote, agriculture minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson confirmed Mr Gunnlaugsson was standing down from the coalition government.

Video: Iceland PM Walks Out Of Interview

The Prime Minister had earlier requested President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson dissolve parliament and call early elections.
But Mr Grimsson refused, saying he wanted to consult the main parties before making a decision.
Mr Gunnlaugsson is the first casualty of the millions of papers, leaked from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca and apparently showing the ways the rich and famous exploit secretive offshore tax regimes.
The papers allege Mr Gunnlaugsson and his wife set up a company called Wintris in the British Virgin Islands in 2007 with the help of Mossack Fonseca.
He allegedly sold his half of the company to his wife for $1 on 31 December 2009 - the day before a new law came in that would have required him to declare the ownership of Wintris as a conflict of interest.

Video: How Do Offshore Accounts Work?

Mr Gunnlaugsson has denied any wrongdoing, insisting his wife's overseas assets were taxed in Iceland and that he had put the interest of the public before his own financial dealings.
He also said the assets did not affect his negotiations with Iceland's creditors during the country's financial crisis.
But feeling the heat on Monday, Mr Gunnlaugsson stormed out of a media interview about the papers. He later apologised.
The fallout from the papers is being felt around the world, with numerous public figures, politicians, their friends and relatives reportedly named in the documents.
In Britain, David Cameron has been forced to declare he has "no shares, no offshore trusts, no offshore funds" after questions were raised about his family's tax affairs in the wake of the leak.