ROME (Thomson Financial) - Italian authorities are investigating around 400 people and firms suspected of dodging taxes by hiding income in Liechtenstein, financial police said today, amid a growing international scandal.
'The financial police are examining a list of 400 names of individuals and of companies after Rome's prosecutor's office launched an inquiry,' an officer told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Italy has joined Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Greece, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the US in launching probes into its own citizens since Germany revealed a probe into Liechtenstein's banks last month.
According to the Italian media, the list -- which was previously reported as having only 150 names -- includes Italians who used foreign nationals and firms as cut-offs to hide transactions with Liechtenstein's secretive banks.
In the run-up to next month's Italian parliamentary elections the scandal has taken on a political dimension, with politicians of all parties calling for any candidates implicated in the affair to be investigated.
Some campaigners have called for parties to exclude politicians convicted or suspected of wrongdoing by presenting voters with 'clean lists' of candidates.
Liechtenstein reacted with anger when it learned German investigators had paid a whistle-blower for information on depositors but, facing a storm of criticism over its tax haven rules, has pledged to reform its banks. tf.TFN-Europe_newsdesk@thomson.com afp/cmr COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
© 2008 AFX News
