Staff Correspondent
The United States and the United Kingdom have sought the cooperation of the government, law ministry, attorney general’s office and the Bangladesh Bank to recover $200 million allegedly taken by a dozen Bangladeshis, including former BNP ministers, leaders and businessmen, in bribe from different international companies in exchange for help in obtaining contracts, the law minister, Shafique Ahmed, told reporters on Sunday.
Shafique said this after a delegation of the US department of justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had met him in the ministry at noon.
US department of justice deputy chief Linda M Samuel, Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Debrah Heprevotte and UK Institute of Management consultant Fedous Ahmed were on the delegation.
The attorney general, Salahuddin Ahmed, and the Anti-Corruption Commission’s senior counsel Anisul Huq were also present at the meeting.
‘The United States and the United Kingdom have sought our assistance in recovering their money. The transaction took place in exchange for work permit to various agencies. We assured them of providing all-out assistance,’ Shafique told reporters after the meeting.
The ministries of law and finance, attorney general’s office and the Bangladesh Bank should work together to help them to recover the money, Shafique said.
He said the amount was estimated at $200 million.
There are allegations against a dozen people, including former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s youngest son Arafat Rahman, former ministers and leaders of the BNP-led alliance that they had taken the amount in bribe, Shafique said.
The money is now deposited with banks in different countries, including Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, he said.
Asked about the accused, both the law minister and Anisul Huq refused to name them.
The United States on Friday moved to seize the Singapore-based funds allegedly linked to bribing Bangladesh officials over projects involving German and Chinese firms.
The forfeiture action was filed on Thursday in a US district court in Washington against funds worth $3 million in Singapore held by multiple account holders, the assistant attorney general, Matthew Friedrich, said.
The Anti-Corruption Commission earlier claimed it had found about Tk 11 crore of Arafat deposited in a Singapore bank. The commission already took initiative to freeze the account and initiated investigation if the sources of the money.
Arafat, who is facing at least three corruption cases, is now in Bangkok for medical treatment. The proceedings of the cases against him, however, have been stayed by the High Court.
He was arrested on September 3, 2007 along with his mother Khaleda Zia, also the Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson.
He went to Bangkok for treatment on July 19 after being released by an executive order.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
