Ramon Fonseca, one of founders of Mossack Fonseca, said on April 5 that the Panamanian law firm was a victim of a hack from outside the company.
In an interview with Reuters, Fonseca said he has filed a complaint with state prosecutors over the so-called Panama Papers, the largest data leak in history.
Fonseca, 63, defended his law firm in the interview, saying that it had broken no laws and that all its operations were legal. He also said Mossack Fonseca has never destroyed records or assisted anyone in evading taxes or laundering money.
His comments come after 11.5 million documents from the law firm were leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other news organizations. The data breach named 12 world leaders and 140 other politicians in connection to offshore companies in 21 tax havens. The names included Vladimir Putin, Argentine president Mauricio Macri, soccer superstar Lionel Messi, and the Prime Minister of Iceland.
Documents included emails, share certificates, and passports.
However, Fonseca told Reuters the records were “taken out of context” and misinterpreted.
“We rule out an inside job. This is not a leak. This is a hack,” said Fonseca in the interview at the company’s headquarters in Panama.
“We have a theory and we are following it,” he continued.
“We have already made the relevant complaints to the Attorney General’s office, and there is a government institution studying the issue,” added Fonseca.
