Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday directed two government bodies to submit reports 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.
The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police have to comply with the direction by March 6 this year.
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 in the foreign banks including Swiss banks in this court by same period.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after hearing a writ petition and a Suo Moto (voluntary move) rule involving this issue.
Lawyers Abdul Kaium Khan and Subir Nandi Das appeared as the writ petitioners, while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan argued for ACC and Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state during the hearing.
In response to the High Court order passed earlier, three government organizations, BFIU, ACC and Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC), submitted three separate reports in the court over the money launderers.
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) in their report listed of 69 individuals and entities whose names came into the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leak as money launderer.
Among the 69 names, 43 individuals and entities were found in the Panama Papers and 26 other individuals and entities were found in the Paradise Papers, according to a report submitted in the High Court on January 26.
The following day, January 27, the ACC also submitted a report where it compiled a list of 61 Bangladeshi individuals and 7 entities published in Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leak as money launderer.
The report, however, contains no specific independent findings by the ACC about the Bangladeshis who have laundered and deposited huge amounts of money abroad and to overseas banks and purchased property.
The ACC observed that it cannot proceed with the investigation process against the individuals and entities whose names came into the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers leak without full names and addresses, proper information of offshore investment and relevant other records of the investment.
Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik said, the court will hold hearing on the rule since February 7 this year.
