MEET THE INVESTIGATORS
West Africa Leaks
West Africa Leaks was the largest-ever collaboration of journalists from West Africa. More than a dozen reporters from 11 countries, spent months analyzing the 27.5 million documents that represent years of ICIJ data leaks: Offshore Leaks, Swiss Leaks, Panama Papers and Paradise Papers. It was released in 2018.
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Sep 21, 2021
Keeping an ‘eye on the prize’ despite ongoing intimidation over FinCEN Files story
On the first anniversary of the publication of the FinCEN Files, we go behind the scenes with ICIJ member Moussa Aksar, whose reporting on a military procurement scheme in Niger uncovered one of the biggest corruption scandals in the country.
Feb 01, 2021
ICIJ nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for combating dark money flows
ICIJ and the Global Alliance for Tax Justice among nominees that also include Committee to Protect Journalists, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Oct 30, 2020
Jailing of Benin investigative journalist broke international law, UN body finds
Ignace Sossou spent six months in prison for tweeting about an official speech.
Apr 06, 2020
What is a tax haven? Offshore finance, explained
Four years after Panama Papers, why ICIJ continues to report on tax havens, and those who exploit them.
Mar 25, 2020
‘Outrageous, unjustified:’ Lawyers take journalist’s imprisonment to the UN
Attorneys for a journalist jailed in Benin for tweeting about a speech argue that the case sets a dangerous precedent for press freedom.
Oct 28, 2019
Being a ‘troublemaker’ in Ghana: verify, verify, verify
Don't pretend to know it all, says experienced investigative reporter Emmanuel Dogbevi, from Ghana. "It's all about a learning attitude."
Aug 25, 2019
Press Freedom Fears After West Africa Leaks Reporter Convicted in Benin
A journalist who exposed the offshore accounts of a corporate titan has been fined and given a suspended jail sentence under a new digital media law.
May 22, 2019
Probed, sacked and ignored: how countries reacted to West Africa Leaks
The region’s biggest collaboration spurred some nations to act, while others remained silent.
Dec 30, 2018
ICIJ’s 10 most-shared stories in 2018
ICIJ began the year investigating how wealth is being siphoned out of West Africa, and ended it with a global health care investigation. Which story was your favorite?
Jul 10, 2018
Behind the scenes of the largest-ever West African journalism collaboration
A new documentary reveals the challenges and triumphs of the West Africa Leaks investigation.
May 30, 2018
'Doubt, doubt, doubt': Maxime Domegni on successful investigative reporting
Togolese ICIJ member Maxime Domegni has to work from outside his country, but that doesn't dampen his investigative spirit.
May 22, 2018
One Company’s Tax ‘Heaven’ Is Senegal’s Tax ‘Hell’
A lopsided tax treaty between Mauritius and Senegal means, with the right paper work, companies working in Senegal can avoid paying millions in taxes.
May 22, 2018
Why We Decided To Dig Into West Africa’s Offshore Links
Through the power of collaborative reporting, ICIJ and its partners have been able to shed new light on the impact of tax avoidance, financial crime and corruption in West Africa.
May 22, 2018
Introducing West Africa Leaks
ICIJ's African partnership coordinator talks about our unprecedented investigation in the region and how it came about.
May 22, 2018
‘We are the enemies of our leaders’: Meet the journalists behind West Africa Leaks
The 13 journalists who worked on the West Africa Leaks face everything from threats, law suits and intimidation.
May 22, 2018
Wanted: Honorary Consuls For ‘Cash-Strapped’ African Nations
Honorary consuls occupy a little-known niche in the global elite. Many work to rigorous standards, but for others their avowed love for their adopted country is not always reflected in their tax filings.
May 22, 2018
Explore The Stories
See how offshore companies and accounts have been used to strip cash out of West Africa.
May 22, 2018
How Officials, Businesses and Traffickers Hide Billions Offshore
From Cape Verde’s white-sand beaches to Niger’s vast deserts, West African countries are plundered by companies and individuals, while governments do little to stem the flow.
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