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Sunday, January 18, 2009

[chottala.com] ACC finds Koko's Tk 11cr stashed in S'pore bank

Friday, December 19, 2008
ACC finds Koko's Tk 11cr stashed in S'pore bank
He conceals the money in wealth report
 
Emran Hossain
 
Arafat Rahman Koko, youngest son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, has foreign currencies worth around Tk 11.43 crore deposited in a Singapore bank but he concealed its information in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
 
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With the help of Singapore government the anti-graft watchdog came to know that Koko has 20.61 lakh Singaporean dollars and 2.61 lakh US dollars. The ACC revealed the stunning information at a routine press briefing yesterday.

It also informed that the son of the former prime minister owns a firm named ZASZ Trading and Consulting Pvt Ltd in Singapore jointly with a Singapore national, who is Koko's paid service agent. The whole amount was deposited in the joint account of that firm at different times in 2005.

Non-resident foreigners cannot open a company in Singapore and has to have a Singaporean agent to do that, ACC sources said.

Interestingly, 17 days after anti-corruption drive was launched in Bangladesh, Koko transferred 20.13 lakh Singapore dollars (SGD) to an account with the Singapore branch of French bank Credit Industriel et Commercial from the ZASZ joint account.

Singapore government recently froze the ZASZ account and sent necessary documents to the ACC, prompting the commission to initiate legal procedures.

Of the amount, China Harbour Engineering sent about 18 lakh SGD to that account and the rest came from other sources. The performance of China Harbour Engineering in Bangladesh is questionable for reasons including delaying to carry out work on various pretexts.

ACC Director General (Admin) Col Hanif Iqbal told reporters that they received evidence and necessary papers that confirm Koko's ownership of the money.

"Legal procedures have already been initiated and the commission is currently enquiring the matter. Once the enquiry finds the allegations are true, legal proceedings will be taken against the persons involved and efforts will be made to bring back the money," Hanif said.

The investigation will confirm if there was any violation of the Foreign Exchange Regulations of Bangladesh Bank, if the money was shown in Koko's wealth statement, and if any offence was committed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ACC has already filed three cases against Koko.

He is a co-accused in the commission's first corruption case filed against Khaleda and 11 others for violating tender conditions in awarding container-handling job to indenting house Gatco.

Koko is also accused in a case for extorting Tk 1.20 crore over a few years.

The other case he is accused in is for amassing wealth worth Tk 2,23,18,245 and concealing information about properties worth Tk 11,20,145. Koko submitted his wealth statement to the ACC in January this year and the commission filed the case on April 23.

HOW MONEY WAS TRANSFERRED TO KOKO'S ACCOUNT
According to Singapore government's information, Koko registered the trading and consulting firm in that country with the help of a few associates and the Singaporean service agent on April 10, 2004.

China Harbour Engineering sent to the firm's account 9.20 lakh SGD and 8.30 lakh SGD on May 6 and 31 and another 8.29 lakh SGD on August 1 in 2005. The ZASZ received another 3.03 lakh SGD from another source on October 6 the same year.

Singapore government's information says Koko transferred 8.30 lakh SGD from the account of ZASZ to another place on July 29, 2005.

The Singapore government informed the ACC about the matter through its Attorney General's Office following Bangladesh government's request for mutual legal assistance.

The Bangladesh government sent the request under the UN Convention against Corruption to help find information regarding wealth amassed through illegal means and corruption and restrain use of that money by identifying the corrupt person.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=67769
 
Zia's birth anniversary today
 
Comments:

Khaleda Zia was not involved in her sons' corruption. So the people of Bangladesh should vote for her and make her the next prime minister of their country.

This will help them get rid of corruption and turn Bangladesh into a corruption-free country!

: Mohammad Asghar

good catch!

Would you please probe into the wealth of Hasina's son Joy and her sister Rehana as well please?

Thanks.

: sheikh Joy

Why disclose this information 10 days before election? What happened to ACC Chairman's TAKA 20 crore case?

: mafiz

ACC has shown courage.

We must extend our help to continue. ACC must go forward to investigate other alleged case of money londering.

: jami
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