Chile's head of Transparency International resigns after 'Panama Papers'

By Gram Slattery
SANTIAGO, April 4 (Reuters) - The president of the Chilean
branch of Transparency International resigned on Monday after
documents from a Panamanian law firm showed he was linked to at
least five offshore companies.
"Gonzalo Delaveau presented his resignation as the president
of Transparency Chile, which has been accepted by the board of
directors," the national body wrote on Twitter.
Delaveau was among tens of thousands of people named in a
leak of four decades' worth of documents from Mossack Fonseca, a
Panamanian law firm that specialized in setting up offshore
businesses.
The "Panama Papers" were leaked to more than 100 news
organizations around the world cooperating with the U.S.-based
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, or ICIJ,
including Chilean watchdog CIPER.
While Delaveau is not accused of illegal activity, the leaks
called into question his post at Transparency International, a
German-based organization that seeks to monitor and root out
corporate and political corruption worldwide.
According to CIPER, Delaveau, a lawyer, acts as a
representative for Turnbrook Corporation, DK Corporation,
Heatlhey International Inc, Turnbrook Mining Ltd and Vizcachitas
Ltd, all of which are domiciled in the Bahamas.
Delaveau also serves as a director for Turnbrook Mining,
which owns 51.6 percent of Los Andes Copper, a Canadian
exploration and development company currently focused on a mine
project north of Chile's capital, Santiago.
Delaveau could not be reached for comment.
In response to questions from CIPER, he said he was a
director only at Turnbrook Mining and that his relations with
the other companies were consistent with his role as a lawyer
and legal clerk.
He added in an interview with a local radio station that he
was "extremely surprised" by the "gray, dark area" of Mossack
Fonseca.
Delaveau's resignation came hours after Chile's tax
authority announced the beginning of an "intense follow-up" of
the Chileans mentioned in the Panama Papers, who range from
ex-soccer stars to newspaper magnates.
The disclosures also come as Chile deals with political and
corporate corruption scandals that have left Chileans angry with
the entire professional class and eroded the government's
popularity.