HSBC: King Mohammed VI reply in Le Monde newspaper

King Mohammed VI wrote in Le Monde in the wake of the publication of an article as part of the HSBC-Swiss case, dated 10 February.

Here is the full text:

“In the edition of your newspaper dated 10 February 2015, whose cover features the title” secret accounts in Switzerland “and the subtitle” the elite of French tax evaders, “you have published on page 8 an article entitled “His Majesty Mohammed VI Client No. 5090190103” with the subtitle “the King of Morocco has opened an account in Geneva in 2006 with his private secretary, Mounir Majidi,” in which you report an open bank account in Switzerland with HSBC bank on behalf of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI being in no way French tax resident, poorly we understand the conditions in which it is found mentioned among the “heads of state” in the “elite of French tax evaders.”

His Majesty the King of Morocco is tax resident and perform in this capacity all of its taxes in Morocco, as well as companies of which he is a shareholder. Moreover, the sums held by His Majesty the King on behalf of HSBC referred to in your article have been transferred in full transparency via Moroccan monetary authorities with formal and prior agreement of the exchange office as required by the regulations applicable in Morocco.

This opening statement was therefore carried out in strict compliance with tax and legal regulations. ”