'Panama Papers' revelation a 'crime,' says law firm

The revelation of the "Panama Papers" detailing the off-shore structures of many wealthy clients is a "crime" and an "attack" on Panama, the law firm at the heart of the scandal has said.

"This is a crime, a felony," Ramon Fonseca, one of the founders of the Panamanian firm Mossack Fonseca, said yesterday.

"This is an attack on Panama because certain countries don't like it that we are so competitive in attracting companies," he told AFP.

A massive data leak from Mossack Fonseca's supposedly secure data center resulted in media around the world publishing stories on how wealthy politicians, celebrities and others used it to allegedly hide assets to avoid taxes or launder money.