Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has brought back some money Arafat Rahman Koko siphoned off to Singapore.
Chairman of the ACC Ghulam Rahman announced the recovery of around Singapore Dollars (SGD) 2.04 million at the anti-graft body’s regular press briefing at its headquarters in the capital Dhaka on Thursday.
The fund, laundered by the BNP chairperson’s youngest son, was deposited with the ACC’s Stolen Asset Recovery Account of the state-owned Sonali Bank’s Ramna Corporate branch.
It would be for the first time Bangladesh got back siphoned off money. Singapore authorities sent the money back.
On March 18, 2009, the anti-graft body sued Koko and Ismail Hossian alias Simon for laundering money he had illegally taken from a Chinese company and Siemens and other sources in kickbacks to help them get government contracts.
He said the court last year convicted Koko for money laundering and sentenced him to six years in prison and fined BDT 380 million.
The main job of the ACC is to take legal action against corrupts and recover the public money siphoned off abroad, Mr. Rahman said, adding that Singapore authorities transferred the amount to the account on Thursday and rest around one million US dollar would be transferred soon.
He said the Singapore authorities, the US intelligence agency – Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) - and the Attorney General of Bangladesh worked together to recover the stolen money, which would be used to promote anti-graft activities in the country.
BBN/SSR/AD-22Nov12-9:05 pm (BST)
