Panama Papers: Iceland prime minister seeks early poll

The prime minister of Iceland has asked the president to dissolve parliament after

allegations he concealed millions of dollars worth of investments in an offshore

company.

PM Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson faced growing pressure over documents showing he and

his wife owned offshore firm Wintris.

A big protest was held in front of parliament in Iceland on Monday.

Dozens of high-profile global figures are named in a huge leak from Panamanian law

firm Mossack Fonseca.

Mr Gunnlaugsson put his request to President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson after the

opposition proposed a no-confidence motion.

However, Mr Grimsson is reported to be delaying a decision until he has spoken to the

main political parties.

After refusing to resign on Monday, the prime minister appeared to come under

increasing pressure from within his governing coalition too.

He took to Facebook on Tuesday to outline his latest position.

“I told the leader of the Independence Party that if the party’s parliamentarians think they

cannot support the government in completing joint tasks, I would dissolve parliament and

call a general election,” he wrote.

‘Rules not broken’

The so-called Panama Papers leaked from Mossack Fonseca show that Mr Gunnlaugsson

and his wife bought Wintris in 2007.

He did not declare an interest in the company when entering parliament in 2009. He sold

his 50% of Wintris to his wife, Anna Sigurlaug Palsdottir, for $1 (70p), eight months

later.

Mr Gunnlaugsson says no rules were broken and his wife did not benefit financially.

The offshore company was used to invest millions of dollars of inherited money,

according to a document signed by Mrs Palsdottir in 2015.