Names and five addresses, three of them linked to mining trade in Goa, feature in the global list of individuals and firms who hold offshore accounts in international tax havens, released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The list of five is a part of 498 names of Indian offshore account-holders and contains details of their offshore accounts. The list was released globally by the Washington-based pro-transparency NGO, some weeks back.
The names of Goan businessmen listed in the ICIJ list are Govindraj Sinai Dempo, who the website alleges, has opened six offshore accounts namely Eden Point Worldwide, Ocean Pines Ventures, Execorp limited, Portcullis Trustnet (BVI) limited (po box number 3444 Road Town), Tortola British Virgin Islands and UBS AG Singapore.
The son-in-law of a former Chief Minister, Govindraj’s address has been listed as house number, 748, Dempo House, St Cruz Ilhas, Goa 403005 by ICIJ.
Ambar Timblo, scion of the Timblo mining family has been shown on the ICIJ website as having three offshore accounts, UBS — AG, in Singapore, another with Arlington Capital ltd and a third with Portcullis Trustnet (BVI) limited. Timblo’s address has been listed as la Marvel colony, near NIO (National Institute of Oceanography), Goa 403004 by the pro-transparency website.
Another listing on the ICIJ website shows Sanjay Vijay Singh Shinde, a resident of B275, Patel Estate, Alto Betim as having offshore accounts with in the British Virgin Islands as well as Singapore. Shinde has been shown ICIJ, as having accounts with Portcullis Trustnet (BVI) limited, UBS-Ag, Singapore and Venus Bay offshore limited.
There are two other addresses on the portal, one which mentions Dempo House, Campal Panaji, 403001, a business premise, which was once the headquarters of Goa’s biggest privately owned set of mining companies owned by the Dempo family.
The other name on the ICIJ website is Salgaocar House, off Francisco luis Gomes road, Vasco-da-gama Goa pin code 403 802, which is the head office of companies operated by the Salgaocar family, who operate a major mining-oriented business in Goa.
The listed addresses, says ICIJ, is a contact postal address as it appears in the original databases of offshore accounts obtained by ICIJ.
After the list of 498 Indians having offshore accounts was first published in a national daily, Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram had promised an enquiry into it.