Swiss envoy’s claim not based on facts: Momen

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen yesterday said Swiss Ambassador Nathalie Chuard's comments that Bangladesh did not seek specific information on the  money its citizens deposited with the Swiss banks were not grounded in facts.

He said the Bangladesh Bank governor and the finance secretary confirmed they had sought the information from the Swiss authorities.

"But they [the Swiss] didn't respond."

Speaking to journalists at his ministry yesterday, Momen said, "I told them [BB governor and finance secretary] to issue public statements in this regard because one shouldn't get away with making false claims."

Asked if the foreign ministry would talk to the Swiss embassy, he said, "Let the Bangladesh Bank and finance secretary first issue public statements ... then we will talk to the embassy."

At the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh Talk at the Jatiya Press Club on Wednesday, the Swiss ambassador said the Bangladesh government did not seek any specific information on its citizens' money deposited with Swiss banks.

The amount of money that individuals from around the world stashed in Swiss banks has decreased recently, she said.

However, according to the annual report published in June this year by Switzerland's central bank, the funds deposited by Bangladeshis in Swiss banks have increased by nearly 55 percent to 871.11 million Swiss francs year-on-year in 2021.

There are allegations that most of this money was earned illegally.

Chuard had further said Switzerland is committed to maintaining international standards, and it is possible to exchange information with the consent of the two parties.

"We have informed the government about what needs to be done to get the information, but we have not been asked for any specific information."

Contacted, the spokesperson for the Embassy of Switzerland, in response to the foreign minister's allegations, said they cannot make a comment on the matter immediately.

HC SEEKS ANSWER

Meanwhile, in another development, the High Court wanted to know whether the government and the ACC had sought specific information from the Swiss authorities on Bangladeshis who deposited money with banks in Switzerland.

It ordered Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik and Anti-Corruption Commission lawyer Khurshid Alam to update this court on the issue by next Sunday -- the same day the court will pass further orders on the matter.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order on a suo moto (voluntary) move following reports on different newspapers, including The Daily Star, regarding the Swiss ambassador's statement.

Contacted, DAG Amin Uddin Manik said he will enquire the Bangladesh Bank and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) about this issue and inform the HC.

On February 28 last year, the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim, in response to a writ petition, wanted to know the names, addresses, and current status of Bangladeshis who deposited laundered money with overseas banks.

The court asked the authorities and the ACC to provide details of such individuals and organisations by March 30 last year. But little progress has been made since then.

Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, ACC lawyer Khurshid said the commission has officially sought information from the foreign ministry, Bangladesh Bank and BFIU about the Bangladeshis who deposited money with foreign banks.

"The ACC is yet to get any information from them in this regard."