Among celebrities who have offshore accounts in Panama are actor Jackie Chan and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi. Two prominent Indian names doing the rounds were that of Amitabh Bachchan and Beautiful actress Aishwarya Rai. Rai was director and shareholder of an offshore company, along with members of her family, before it is thought to have been wound up in 2008, according to the documents in possession of Indian Express.
However, the media adviser of Rai has rejected the documents, which were the basis of the Express investigation, as “totally untrue and false”. Likewise, father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan was allegedly a director of at least four offshore shipping companies, reports the Daily Mail. Big B is yet to comment on the documents.
At least 20 footballers from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United are also said to have used the accounts to avoid tax. Lionel Messi, who is already facing tax fraud charges in Spain, owns a Panama company with his father, the leaked documents have revealed.
