Moosa seeks time citing 'fear of death'

Citing his “fear of death” and health issues, controversial business tycoon Moosa Bin Shamsher yesterday sought to postpone his interrogation by the Anti-Corruption Commission for two to three months.

Moosa was supposed to face ACC grilling for the second time today over the allegations that he amassed wealth illegally and laundered a huge amount of money to Switzerland. The anti-graft watchdog had interrogated him in December, 2014.

In a letter to the commission yesterday, he said he cannot appear before the ACC today due to health problems, said ACC sources.

His prescriptions and medical certificates attached to the letter say he has “death phobia” along with hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes, added the sources.

The letter was addressed to the ACC chairman. Copies of it were received by Director Mir Mohammad Joynul Abedin Shibly and other top officials.

One of Moosa's aides delivered the copies to the officials. Approached by reporters while leaving the commission, he said Moosa has “death phobia” along with other health issues.

Asked to explain the phobia, he said whenever the business tycoon tries to sleep he feels he would die. He also said Moosa had money in “frozen” Swiss Bank accounts.

Earlier this month, ACC Director Shibly, who is investigating the matter, had issued a letter, asking the businessman to appear at the ACC today for interrogation.

During the interrogation in December, 2014, Moosa admitted that he had $7 billion in Swiss Bank accounts that were “frozen”.

In June that year, Moosa in an interview to a magazine said he has properties worth over Tk 53,000 crore.

According to an ACC source, Moosa had told interrogators that he was involved in manpower business in Bangladesh through his company DATCO but had been leading a retired life.

The commission launched its enquiry in 2010 following news reports that Musa allegedly siphoned off over Tk 51,000 crore abroad.

In 2011, Bangladesh Bank asked all commercial banks to provide the ACC with information and documents they had on Moosa, a man from Faridpur.

The anti-money laundering department of the central bank issued letters the same year to the banks giving a brief introduction about him.