Sagar Biswas :
The government has taken stance not to make public the investigation report of the Bangladesh Bank heist.
And in line with its strategy, Finance Minister AMA Muhith made the latest twist on Saturday saying that it is not possible to publish the report as a case remains pending with the Philippines court in this connection.
“We’re unable to publish the investigation report. So far I think, it will not be possible to publish the report until disposal of the case with the Philippines authority,” AMA Muhith said yesterday. Soon after the heist, a three-member committee led by former BB Governor Dr Mohammad Farashuddin was formed under the auspices of Finance Ministry to conduct an investigation into the matter. Apart from conducting inquiry, the Farashuddin committee was asked to advise necessary reform in the BB.
The Farashuddin committee submitted its report to the Finance Ministry about one year ago. But the Finance Minister did not make the report public for unknown reason though he had announced several times to publish it.
The head of the investigation team had hinted at the involvement of central bank insiders.
Against this backdrop, the minister yesterday also said, “The Reserve Bank of Philippines has said it would not be possible to get back the stolen money, if the investigation report is made public. So, we’re taking time. Already, the case has proceeded. We’re hopeful of getting back the looted money.”
Earlier on November 13 last year, the BB received $15.25 million from the Philippines’ Anti-money Maundering Council, nine months after the heist. In September, 2016, a Filipino court adjudged that BB is the legal owner of around $15 million surrendered by casino boss Kim Wong and his Eastern Hawaii Leisure Company.
Apart from Farashuddin committee, different investigation and intelligence agencies had also conducted extensive investigation to unearth the mystery behind the history’s biggest bank heist.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Undertaking had taken decision to sit in a closed door meeting with the BB top brass to discuss the investigation report prepared by Farashuddin committee. But BB’s response was not positive in this regard.
Not only that, another Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts also had expressed discontent over the BB heist and wanted to know the exact role of SWIFT, Federal Reserve Bank and Rizal Bank of the Philippines in the incident. The JS body recommended that the government punish the officials who are responsible for the heist.
In the history’s biggest bank heist, unknown hackers tried to swindle $1 billion from BB accounts with Federal Reserve Bank of New York using cyber technology and applying forged commands through Swift Messaging system.
The hackers, however, managed to siphon off $81 million to an account in the Philippines using five messages. Besides, $20 million were moved to Sri Lanka through a different command.
By accident, the Sri Lankan transfer was stopped. But the Philippines transfer came out successful. And the money made its way to casinos after conversion into the local currency. It still seems impossible to be recovered.
It is still a million dollar question, why the central bank had lodged the First Information Report (FIR) forty days after the heist? Who tried to delay the case filing? Why the central bank took a long time to inform the matter to the government high-ups?
