After eight years, the “Panama Papers” trial against 27

In a criminal court in Panama, the trial of 27 individuals accused of money laundering related to the global “Panama Papers” began on Monday.

The proprietors of the Mossack-Fonseca legal business, which was central to the major document leak in 2016, are among those on trial. A compilation of 11 million confidential financial records from the Panama Papers show how some of the wealthiest individuals on the planet conceal their wealth.

Wide-ranging consequences resulted from the disclosures, including the resignation of Iceland’s prime minister and increased scrutiny of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese lawmakers, and leaders of Argentina and Ukraine.

Money laundering accusations were brought against attorneys Juergen Mossack, Ramón Fonseca, and other former business workers in the trial, which has been running behind schedule. Mossack was in the courtroom; Fonseca’s attorneys said he was in a Panamanian hospital. The main thrust of the lawsuit is the accusation that the company used shell corporations in order to use funds from the Car Wash, a massive corruption operation in Brazil, to purchase properties in Panama.