Sources in the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) claimed that Enayetur Rahman Bappi, managing director of Falu's private satellite television channel ntv, divulged the information during interrogation.

The sources quoting Bappi said Falu, also political secretary to former prime minister Khaleda Zia, has accounts with the Chase Bank in America and OCBC Bank in Singapore.

He also told the interrogators that Falu, chairman of private satellite TV channels ntv and rtv, last year gave $50,000 earned from ntv's "Close Up One" programme to a Bangladeshi expatriate in the US named Hazrat Ali.

Bappi was also claimed to have said Falu has purchased a house worth 8-9 lakh dirham at Russell Khaimon in Dubai and that he also has hotel business in Saudi Arabia with the partnership of one Faruq in Madina.

The ntv MD, who was arrested by the joint forces on March 6 in the city, also told the investigators that Falu has shares of a restaurant in London where he also has a house.

Sources said Bappi also told interrogators that Falu has taken away Tk 8 crore from ntv showing over expenditure but did not pay for its shares. Bappi said Falu might have siphoned off the money to his nephew in Canada. Falu also did not invest in the daily Amar Desh but took shares of the newspaper.

Bappi told the interrogators that businessmen Obaidul Karim and Shah Alam, the MD of Amin Mohammad Foundation, the chairman of Islam Group and the MD of Ashiyan City used to visit Falu.

Bappi told the interrogators that he made a mistake being engaged in businesses with BNP leaders.

Falu, arrested on February 5 by the joint forces from his city residence on corruption charges, is now on a four-day remand. Earlier, he was taken on seven days' remand in two phases.