DHAKA: Authorities in El Salvador have raided the local offices of law firm Mossack Fonseca and seized documents and equipment, according to the office of the country's attorney general.

The Panama-based law firm is at the centre of an international data leak scandal - dubbed the Panama Papers - that has embarrassed several world leaders and highlighted the shadowy world of offshore companies.

Attorney General Douglas Melendez, who personally oversaw Friday’s raid, said that the government decided to sweep the offices after noticing Mossack Fonseca had removed its office sign late on Thursday, which raised suspicions.

An employee later said the company was planning to move, according to the attorney general's Twitter feed.

The El Salvador office is not listed on Mossack Fonseca’s corporate website.

El Salvador’s government seized about 20 computers, some documents and interviewed seven employees, but did not detain anyone, Melendez said, reports Al Jazeera.

“At this moment we cannot speak about (any) crimes; all we can do at this moment is our job,” he said.

He said that the government would analyze all the confiscated information and examine its financial, accounting and legal aspects.

He said it appears the law firm’s local affiliate helped process information for clients worldwide.

Governments across the world have begun investigating possible financial wrongdoing by the rich and powerful after the leak of more than 11.5 million documents from the law firm that span four decades.

“Most of us pay our taxes because it's the right thing to do and because we don’t have any other choice,” Nick Bryer, Oxfam's Head of UK Policy, told Al Jazeera.

BDST: 2305 HRS, APR 09, 2016
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