Sat, 30 Apr, 2016 01:37:48 AM Report on Panama Papers disclosure FTimes-STT Report, Apr 30  File Photo AFP-Lehtikuva. The tax authorities have threatened to raid the office of national broadcaster Yle unless the Yle authority discloses the details of the Panama Papers disclosure on tax haven to the tax office.
The tax authorities also threatened to search the homes of reporters and their families for the reports.
The message about the possible raids was sent to the home addresses of reporters of Yle in-volved in the MOT and Spotlight programmes.
The tax authority called on Yle on April 19 to release the Panama Papers, as well as editorial background material related to the Papers by April 29 but the Yle refused to hand over the Panama materials, citing source protection.
Yle director of creative content and MOT correspondent Ville Vilen said that the representa-tives of the tax authorities and Yle met on Thursday and discussed the situation.
According to Vilen, Yle knew the legal rights of the tax authorities.
“I'm not speaking of intimidation, but we went through how to proceed and what kind of twists may come, if the tax authorities continue,” said the Yle director.
Ville Vilen believes it would be peculiar and unusual, if the tax authorities and police followed through on their threat to raid reporters’ homes for information.
According to him, any raid on the media offices would be alarming.
“This kind of operation doesn't sound right in Finnish society,” he added.
He believes that the tax authority’s demands are also seen internationally as exceptional.
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Finland Times
| Wednesday, 24 April, 2024 |
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