Iceland PM walks out of interview after tax haven question

UK news website The Guardian has released a video of Icelandic Prime Minister walking out of a television interview with Swedish TV after being grilled about a company now owned by his wife.

“What are you trying to make up here?” Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson PM asks his interviewers. “This is totally inappropriate.”

A special edition of Iceland’s Kastljós current affairs discussion programme this evening (link in Icelandic) has revealed that, from the time the company was founded, Gunnlaugsson owned 50% of Wintris Inc., while his wife owned the other half.

On 31 December 2009 – the day before Gunnlaugsson’s obligation to disclose information on the company, its operations and revenue to Icelandic authorities kicked in – the PM reportedly sold his half to his wife for the token sum of $1.

The revelations coming to light this evening have set Icelandic social media on fire, with many outraged at what they perceive to be immoral and corrupt behaviour on the part of the PM.

More coverage of this evening’s events here.

One of the documents obtained by Sueddeutsche Zeitung regarding the holdings of Wintris. Screenshot/ Sueddeutsche Zeitung.

An email from Landsbankinn in Luxemburg to Mossfon in Luxemburg regarding the founding of Wintris. „ screenshot