Family of Iceland's first lady connected to offshore account

First lady Dorrit Moussaieff and President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.

First lady Dorrit Moussaieff and President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. mbl.is/Styrmir Kári

The family of Dorrit Moussaieff, wife of President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson owned an offshore company registered in the Virgin Islands from 1999- 2005. The company, Lasca Finance Limited appears in the Panama papers leaked from Mossack Fonseca. 

This appears in a joint story by Kjarninn and The Reykjavik Grapevine. 

"The matter concerns a British company called Moussaieff Jewelers Limited (MJL), which is Dorrit’s family’s business. According to the Directors’ Report and Financial Statements for MJL in 2006, Lasca Finance Limited (LFL) – a company registered in the British Virgin Islands of which Dorrit’s parents are shareholders – was paid interest payments by MJL from at least 2000 until 2005, which was the last time we saw reported interest," writes The Grapevine. 

The father of Iceland's first lady was Shlomo Moussaieff. 

In an interview with US news channel CNN recently, President Grímsson denied that his family owned any offshore account when asked whether he himsef, his wife or his family owned such accounts. 

The Reykjavik Grapevine and Kjarninn have obtained documents revealing this information, after receiving a tip on the matter from Presidential candidate Ástþór Magnússon. 

According to the story, neither President Grímsson or the first lady remember hearing of the existence of the account and that the first lady's mother does not remember it either. 

Mr. Grímsson, who has been Iceland’s president since 1996, is seeking an unprecedented 6th term in office this summer, having reversed his previous decision to step down. This longevity puts him at thetop of the world table among non-royal heads of state. 

The documents are available HERE on The Reykjavik Grapevine. 

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