Kremlin dimisses reports linking Putin to offshore deals

MOSCOW - The Kremlin on Monday dismissed reports linking friends and relatives of Russian President Vladimir Putin to offshore deals worth billions of US dollars.

"There are no details, all are based on allegations and speculation," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, demanding "professional results of the work of the journalistic community."

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on Sunday published some 11.5 million documents leaked from a Panamanian law firm. It alleged offshore links of prominent figures in many countries, including transactions by people associated with Putin, which was worth 2 billion dollars.

Peskov claimed the main aim of the publication, though mentioning other countries and their leaders, obviously targeted Putin, "especially in the context of upcoming parliamentary election and long-term prospects of presidential election in two years."

An earlier report published on Thursday alleged that a Putin associate had benefited from state construction contracts.

Prior to the publications, Peskov had said that the Kremlin expected that an outfit of international research in the West and in Russia was planning to publish "hoax material" on Putin, his family and friends.

Founded in 1997, the ICIJ is a global network of more than 190 investigative journalists in more than 65 countries and regions working with leading news organizations worldwide and focusing on issues like cross-border crime, corruption and accountability of power, according to its website.