Explanation
The Panama Papers refer to over 11 million leaked documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in 2016. The data revealed how politicians, business leaders, celebrities, and criminals used offshore entities to hide assets, avoid taxation, and obscure illicit activities. The revelations sparked worldwide outrage, criminal investigations, and renewed calls for financial transparency and global tax reform.
Theoretical Reference
The Panama Papers exemplify the intersection of economic power and legal impunity—central to Critical Criminology, Power Elite theory (C. Wright Mills), and White Collar Crime (Edwin Sutherland).