Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday denied any “element of corruption” after the Panama Papers claimed his cellist friend Sergei Roldugin ran a $2-billion offshore empire, adding that his own name is not in the documents.
Putin also claimed that United States officials were behind the journalistic investigation, citing a tweet from WikiLeaks.
He boasted that the investigation had tried and failed to find any compromising information on his own financial dealings.
“They combed through these offshore accounts. Your humble servant is not there. What is there to talk about?” Putin said, referring to himself, speaking at a televised forum for regional media held in Saint Petersburg.
Those working on the Panama Papers instead took “some friend of the Russian president” and suggested his activities have “an element of corruption,” Putin said.
“What element of corruption? There is none at all,” he insisted.
“WikiLeaks has shown us now the fact that officials and official organs of the United States stand behind this,” Putin added.
WikiLeaks wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that “US govt funded #PanamaPapers attack story on Putin via USAID.”
Putin warmly defended his friend Roldugin as a “brilliant musician” and philanthropist.
