Staff Reporter :
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police has formed a seven-member committee for a joint investigation into the allegations of money laundering by the Bangladeshi nationals whose names were published in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leak.
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Organized Crimes unit of the CID has been made Chairman of the committee and Special Police Superintendent of the Financial Crime unit of the CID made Member-Secretary of it.
The committee also included Additional DIG of the Central Crime unit of the CID, Additional DIG of Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions of the CID, a representative of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), a representative of the Bangladesh Financial
Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and Special Police Superintendent of the Legal Affairs unit of the CID.
The CID has placed the committee in the High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman on Sunday stating that the committee was formed on February 15 in line with the court’s direction.
While hearing a writ petition and a Suo Moto (voluntary move) rule the same High Court bench on January 30 this year directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police to submit reports by March 6 on the progress of investigation into the allegations of money laundering by the Bangladeshi nationals whose names were published in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leak.
Apart from this, the court also directed the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) to submit a list of names of Bangladeshi individuals and entities who deposited money to the foreign banks including Swiss banks in this court by same period.
Complying with the court order the CID has formed the committee for especially looking after the investigations into the allegations of money laundering by the Bangladeshi nationals whose names were published in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leak.
After hearing, the court asked the CID to include a representation from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in the committee and to submit a progress report to the court over the committee’s performances on April 10.
The court also fixed April 10 for further hearing on the issue, said the lawyers. Lawyers Abdul Kaium Khan and Subir Nandi Das appeared in the hearing as the writ petitioners, while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan argued for ACC and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
