Former Barcelona mayor denies tax haven allegations

The former mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias, denied allegations of having an over-sized family company based in the Virgin Islands, after La Sexta and El Confidencial published a report implicating him in the global ‘Paradise Papers’ scandal.

“I have never had any relationship with any account or financial product abroad,” argued Trias. “I have never had money abroad, I have never had knowledge or participated in financial operations linked to my family.”

Fiscal paradise

According to the reports released by Spanish TV channel La Sexta and newspaper El Confidencial, Trias has an offshore company based in the Virgin Islands, known for being a tax haven, in order to manage his father’s inheritance, along with his eleven brothers and one nephew.

The Paradise Papers, made public on Sunday, document the tax haven secrets of the ultra-rich around the world, indicate that Trias’ father was the owner of an important pharmaceutical company. According to reports, Trias would have benefited from so-called ‘Trust’ companies that manage asset transfers in order to divert money abroad.