Moosa has $7b in 'frozen' Swiss account

Moosa Bin Shamsher

Flanked by bodyguards, business tycoon Moosa Bin Shamsher yesterday appeared at the Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters to face interrogation over the allegations that he amassed wealth illegally and laundered a huge amount of money to Switzerland.

During interrogation, Moosa admitted that he has deposits worth $7 billion in Swiss Bank accounts that are now “frozen”, according to a top ACC official.

"Moosa, however, denied allegation of amassing wealth illegally, claiming that he earned the amount abroad through international arms trading," he added.

Asked about the “$7 billion”, Executive Director Mahfuzur Rahman of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit said, "We are trying to gather information in different ways but what we have had so far is insufficient."

Escorted by a convoy of six private cars, each carrying at least six to eight bodyguards, Moosa arrived at the ACC office around 9:30am, one and half hours ahead of schedule.

Several bodyguards then took positions at strategic points on the ACC compound while four female and two male guards accompanied Moosa inside the ACC headquarters, witnesses said.

Many ACC officials thronged the grilling room to have a glimpse of Moosa who is often dubbed “Prince Moosa” in the media.

Emerging from the grilling room, the controversial businessman told reporters, "I earned the sum abroad … if the amount is released, I will spend $3 million to build Daulatdia-Aricha-Nagarbari bridge [on the Padma river]."

Moosa said he will also spend from the amount for the wellbeing of public officials, teachers, uncared elderly parents and others.

He added it's not possible for a person to earn such a big amount in Bangladesh, not even in next 50 years.

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

A team led by ACC Deputy Director Mir Mohammad Joynul Abedin Shibly conducted the interrogation at the Segunbagicha office.

The anti-graft body launched its inquiry in 2010 following news reports that Moosa allegedly laundered over Tk 51,000 crore abroad. On December 4, the ACC sent a notice asking him to be present at the ACC office today.

On November 3 this year, Joynul Abedin became the third officer to investigate the allegations after Moosa in an interview to a magazine in June said to have properties worth over Tk 53,000 crore.

The Bangladesh Bank in June 2011 asked all commercial banks to provide the ACC with information and documents they have on Moosa, a businessman from Faridpur.

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

According to the letter, the business tycoon uses two other names -- Dr Moosa Bin Shamsher and Prince Moosa Bin Shamsher.