Germany seeks arrest of senior Panama Papers lawyer Christoph Zollinger

Germany has issued an international arrest warrant for a former attorney with the offshore law firm at the heart of the Panama Papers investigation, German media reported today.

Christoph Zollinger, a Swiss attorney, is wanted for aiding tax evasion and for his involvement in founding an alleged criminal organization, according to Süddeutsche Zeitung, NDR and WDR.

Zollinger, 52, was for years one of the three most senior employees at Mossack Fonseca, the law firm whose leaked files formed the bases of the 2016 Panama Papers investigation led by Süddeutsche Zeitung and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The investigation revealed the hidden financial dealings of more than 120 politicians and public officials and showed how a global industry of law firms and big banks sells secrecy to politicians, fraudsters and drug traffickers.

Zollinger told German media that he had “no knowledge” of the German arrest warrant. Authorities know where he lives, he said, adding that he is ready to provide information if requested.

Zollinger joined Mossack Fonseca in 1997 and later became a partner, according to reports. The attorney, a former member of Panama’s bobsled team, became a citizen of the Central American country, married a Panamanian woman and was appointed “special ambassador” by the foreign minister, Süddeutsche Zeitung and others reported.

While Zollinger left Mossack Fonseca years before the 2016 Panama Papers investigation, leaked records reveal that he was involved in many of the offshore law firm’s controversial decisions, including its work for sanctioned Syrian businessman Rami Makhlouf.