Just months after the massive document leak known as the Panama Papers, 1.3 million files from the Bahama’s corporate registry has hit the internet in what is being referred to as the Bahamas Leak. Süddeutsche Zeitung, the German newspaper that had previously received and released information related to the Panama Leaks, was the recipient of the Bahamas Leak files.
The Bahamas Leak provides names of directors and owners of about 175,000 Bahamian companies, trusts and foundations registered between 1990 and early 2016. This newly released information reveals connections to companies owned or run by current and former politicians from the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It is important to note that the newly leaked documents are rudimentary in comparison with those leaked in the Panama Papers. The Panama Papers included detailed emails, contracts, audio recordings and other documents from one law firm. The Bahamas Leak only provides the foundation for a complete corporate registry, it does not make clear what the roles of the persons linked with the corporations are.
As with the Panama Papers, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists have published all the data leaked from the Bahama Leaks on their comprehensive database.
