The Anti-Corruption Commission has almost completed the investigation into a money laundering case filed last year against former foreign minister and BNP leader M Morshed Khan and his family members.
ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman yesterday said it would not take much time for the commission to press charges in the case.
The case was lodged over an allegation of laundering Tk321 crore to Hong Kong through 11 bank accounts. He had concealed this information in the tax statement, Bodiuzzaman said.
“Now the investigation is under way. We questioned the BNP leader and his son today [yesterday]. We are expecting that the investigation officer will not delay in submitting the charge sheet,” he told reporters while responding to queries.
Regarding BNP’s claim that the ACC was harassing its leaders through politically-motivated cases, the anti-graft body chief said: “The commission never files any case under political consideration, rather based on specific allegations.
“If the allegations are false, they have the opportunity to prove it in court. They should help us investigate the cases. But they are not doing so.”
Earlier in the day, ACC Deputy Director and Investigation Officer of the case Mir Zainul Abedin Shibli interrogated the BNP leader and his son Faisal Morshed Khan.
Emerging from the ACC headquarters, Morshed Khan said he gave the ACC official some information that they had asked for.
The case was filed on December 31 last year against Morshed Khan, his wife Nasrin Khan and Faisal on charges of laundering over $41.2m to Hong Kong.
According to the case statement, Morshed Khan and his family members had siphoned off US$39.5m and HKD$13.6m to Hong Kong during 2004-2011 and deposited the money in seven accounts of Standard Chartered Bank.
The accused did not seek any approval from the Bangladesh Bank while opening the bank accounts and before the transactions. In addition, they did not inform the central bank of their assets and money abroad, it is alleged.
“The three accused have kept foreign money in an international bank without Bangladesh Bank’s consent because of their ill intention to conceal wealth, which is an offence under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009 and the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2012,” the case statement adds.
