Panama Papers raise concern over Pam Golding joint ventures with Botswana’s top judge

Pam Golding Properties was named as the company which set up “seven offshore companies domiciled and registered in a tax haven of the British Virgin Islands” for the president of the Court of Appeal in Botswana.

That’s according to a report on documents detailing the dealings of questionable Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca.

The Panama Papers said Judge Ian Stuart Kirby‚ a “close associate” of President Ian Khama‚ invested “in at least seven offshore companies between 2005 and 2009”.

While the African Network of Centres for Investigative Reporting (ANCIR) said “there is no suggestion in the leaked information that the companies Kirby invested in were specifically avoiding or evading tax commitments”‚ it did raise issues that none of “the names of his fellow investors are publicly known”.

story_article_left1

Nor “is the fact that he invested heavily‚ over £140 000 (almost R3-million)‚ in the seven Pam Golding joint ventures”‚ ANCIR said. Kirby confirmed information in the leaked Mossack Fonseca communications that showed he had “already sold his shares in four of the seven entities‚ remaining a shareholder in three companies” and said “his role in these companies is above board”.

The seven companies were formed to “buy‚ develop and later sell one property each in the United Kingdom” and “they were special purpose vehicles set up by a real estate agent active in Botswana‚ Pam Golding Properties”.

“If this information were to be publicly known‚ it would assist litigants to determine potential conflicts of interests arising from Kirby’s commercial dealings‚” ANCIR said.

“Although his stakes in each company did not seem to rise above 2%‚ this value is still not so diluted or trivial so as to trigger the de minimis principle.

“The judiciary’s interests are in the public domain and a strong argument exists that this transparency enhances the credibility of the legal system.”

This story was produced by Times Media in conjunction with the African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting (https://panamapapers.investigativecenters.org/) and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.