ACC confident about problems in Moosa's wealth statement

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) is confident that there will be inconsistencies in controversial business tycoon Moosa Bin Shamsher's wealth statement, said ACC Commissioner Md Shahabuddin.

The investigation had taken a long time due to Moosa's "non-cooperation", he told the reporters in his office in the capital yesterday, following a two-hour-long interrogation.

Moosa promised to give his Swiss bank account details very soon and had been acting evasively about his wealth source and claimed that he had forgotten many of the ACC queries. He is not likely to be summoned and ACC will take action if irregularities are found, Shahabuddin said. It is the "abnormal behaviour" and extravagant lifestyle of the business tycoon, which piqued the interest of ACC, he said.

Moosa arrived at the ACC around 11:00am with a motorcade of SUVs, vans, and exotic cars, carrying his bodyguards and aides. He was interrogated by ACC director Mir Mohammad Zainul Abedin Shibli.

Moosa was supposed to face the ACC interrogation on January 12 over allegations that he amassed wealth illegally and laundered a huge amount of money to Switzerland. He applied for 2-3 months time citing health problems but the ACC asked him to appear yesterday.

The commission launched its enquiry in 2010 following news reports that Moosa allegedly siphoned over Tk 51,000 crore abroad. "I didn't take a single penny from Bangladesh… I brought hundreds of crores of taka to my company accounts (from abroad) and ACC has proof of that," said Moosa to journalists, after the interrogation. "I didn't create an Atlantic ocean by taking water from Dholaikhal," he joked.

He also claimed to have businesses with armed forces of 40 different countries. "When the governments of those countries settled the bills, the money went to my Swiss account," he said.

He then spoke of a psychological trauma since 12 billion dollars on that Swiss account was "frozen" due to "irregular transactions", but declined to comment while claiming that a lawsuit against the decision is ongoing.