Pandora Papers

And the regulator has pointed the finger at “larger economies” such as the UK and Singapore for their role in it.

“Samoa is a proud, law-abiding country that has suffered much due to its harsh colonial past and diabolical challenges that it now faces, such as climate change. Both calamities were brought on to us by larger countries that continue to enjoy much respect,” said Tuifaasisina Sieni Tualega-Voorwinden, the chief executive officer of the Samoa International Finance Authority.

Samoa's been in the international media spotlight this week due to the massive leak of millions of documents from 14 offshore finance firms, dubbed the Pandora Papers.

One of the firms is Asiaciti Trust and the documents show how its founder, Australian accountant Graeme Briggs, amassed a personal fortune partly by helping high-risk clients keep their private financial dealings out of public view.

Dubbed the Pandora Papers, the 12 million files constitute the biggest such leak in history.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Jordan's King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein are among some 35 current and former leaders linked to the files.

Both have issued statements saying they have done nothing wrong.

Jordan's royal palace said it was "not unusual nor improper" that King Abdullah owned property abroad.

Leaked documents show the leader secretly spent more than £70m ($100m) on a property empire in the UK and US since taking power in 1999.