Morshed, son questioned

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday interrogated former foreign minister of the last BNP-led government M Morshed Khan and his son in a money laundering case filed in 2013.

ACC Deputy Director M Zainul Abedin Shibly, investigation officer of the case, questioned the duo at the anti-graft body's head office in the capital's Segun Bagicha, said Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, ACC public relations officer.

The case was filed against the ex-minister, his son Faisal Morshed Khan and wife Nasrin Khan with Gulshan Police Station in December 2013. 

About Tk 300 crore had been transacted through 11 accounts opened by the accused at Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong, ACC Chairman M Bodiuzzaman told reporters.

The family had not taken Bangladesh Bank's permission required as per the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act 1947 to open accounts with any bank overseas. 

Besides, Morshed Khan did not disclose these accounts in his income tax documents, a source in the ACC said. 

Violating the foreign exchange rule the accused opened the accounts against their business entity Far East Telecommunications Ltd registered in British Virgin Islands, ACC sources said.

Out of the 11 accounts, seven were in the name of the company, two in Morshed Khan's name and two in his son's name. Nasrin is one of the three shareholders of the company. 

She will also be called in for questioning, Bodiuzzaman said, adding it would not take long to complete the investigation and submit the report. 

Coming out of the ACC office around 11:50am, Morshed Khan said he had provided the ACC with all the information he had been asked about during the interrogation.

He, however, declined to say anything about the allegations against him.