ACC recovers interest of Koko's laundered money

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The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has recovered an amount of Tk 1.5 million (15 lakh) as interest of SGD 2.04 million (20.41 lakh) siphoned off by Arafat Rahman Koko, the youngest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, to Singapore, reports UNB. "The ACC has already received about Tk 1.5 million as interest of the SGD 2.04 million laundered by Koko," ACC chairman Ghulam Rahman told reporters at the ACC head office Thursday evening. Earlier, the ACC opened a bank account - 'Stolen Asset Recovery Account' with the Ramna corporate branch of Sonali Bank. The Singapore authorities transferred SGD 2.04 million siphoned off by Koko to the account on November 22 last. The Commission is waiting to receive the remaining amount of US$ 0.93 million (about Tk 70 million) siphoned off by Koko to Singapore, said ACC commissioner Badiuzzaman. On March 18, 2009, the anti-graft body sued Koko and Ismail Hossian alias Simon for siphoning off the money he had illegally taken from a Chinese company and Siemens and other sources in kickbacks to help them get government contracts. Koko was arrested on September 2, 2007 along with her mother from their cantonment residence. He left the country for Bangkok for treatment on July 19, 2010 on parole. In 2011, a Dhaka court convicted Koko for money laundering and sentenced him to six years in prison and fined Tk 380 million. The Singapore authorities, the US intelligence agency - the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) - and the Attorney General of Bangladesh worked together to recover the stolen money. The ACC for the first time investigated the case of overseas money laundering and corruption with the help of Singapore authorities following a mutual legal assistance request (MLAR) under the UN Convention against Corruption.