BUENOS AIRES - Argentine President Mauricio Macri has said he had nothing to hide regarding his links with an offshore company revealed by the "Panama Papers," after a federal prosecutor called for an investigation.
Macri is among scores of politicians and business figures internationally named in documents leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which specializes in setting up offshore companies.
The son of an Italian-born business tycoon, Macri has said he was not legally obliged to declare his connection with the offshore company named in the "Panama Papers" as he never had a stake in it. The president said he was simply director of the Bahamas-based company, Fleg Trading Ltd., now closed, which was created by his father to make investments in Brazil.
Critics say he owes a more thorough explanation of this and his alleged connection with another offshore company, Kagemusha SA, registered in Panama, given that such firms are often used to launder money and evade taxes.
"I have acted in accordance with the law and have nothing to hide," Macri said in a televised news conference. He said he would on Friday ask a court to certify his declaration of assets in order to clear up any doubts.
Macri also said he would put all his assets in a blind trust while president, a measure designed to prevent conflict of interest and generate transparency in the administration of his business interests.
State prosecutor Federico Delgado asked the judiciary earlier on Thursday to investigate if Macri's failure to declare his connection with the offshore company meant he had "maliciously failed to complete his tax declaration", a crime which carries a sentence of 15 days to two years.
The case was assigned to Judge Sebastián Casanello, who must now decide if there is sufficient evidence to open a probe.
Macri's appearance in the Panama Papers and the way his administration has handled the matter has cast some doubts over his 2015 campaign pledge to fight corruption.
The head of the Argentine anti-corruption office, Laura Alonso, a member of Macri's party, swiftly defended Macri after the leak emerged, saying that creating a company in a tax haven was not a crime.
Opposition lawmakers called for her resignation on grounds her job was to root out corruption, not defend the president.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday said that China needs clarification on a massive leak of documents from a Panamanian law firm that revealed the offshore financial arrangements of some of the world's rich and powerful, including family members of China's top leaders.
The Foreign Ministry has denounced accusations arising from the release of the so-called "Panama Papers" as groundless after their leak this week revealed offshore companies linked to the relatives of Chinese President Xi Jinping and other powerful current and former Chinese leaders.
Wang's comments, made at a joint press briefing with the visiting German foreign minister, makes him the most senior Chinese official to acknowledge the matter. The ministry has repeatedly said it will not comment when asked if Beijing would investigate.
"We have noted that the Panama side is making some explanations and clarifications. I'm afraid we first must get clarity and understand what it's really about," Wang said.
Panama's government has said it will form an independent commission to review the country's financial practices and work with other countries over the leak.
Wang did not elaborate on the documents or say if China was in touch with the Panama government about them. He said China's anti-corruption fight would continue.
"With the broad support of the Chinese people, China's anti-corruption struggle is continuing to move forward. As our leaders have said, we will always be on the path of anti-corruption," Wang said.
China is in the midst of a massive crackdown on corruption overseen by Xi, but the government has repeatedly had to swat away criticism that the campaign is more about an internal power play than actually tackling graft.
State media have largely avoided any reporting of the documents, which also revealed financial arrangements of prominent global figures, including friends of Russian President Vladimir Putin, relatives of the prime ministers of Britain and Pakistan, as well as Ukraine's president.
Iceland fell into political crisis this week after the papers linked the then Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson to an offshore company that held millions of dollars in debt from failed Icelandic banks. He stepped down on Tuesday.
While holding money in offshore companies is not illegal, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which has been reviewing the leaked documents along with dozens of other media organisations, said they could provide evidence of wealth hidden for tax evasion, money laundering, sanctions busting, drug deals or other crimes.
Hu Dehua, the son of China's late reformist leader, Hu Yaobang, was the first Chinese relative named in the documents to say he had an offshore company, telling Hong Kong media that he had nothing to hide.
Hu said the registration was "above board" and that he used his own passport and real name, the South China Morning Post reported on Friday.