Panama Papers: ACC to quiz 6 persons

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is likely to interrogate at least six people by this week to find involvement of Bangladeshis in the alleged financial irregularities exposed in the Panama Papers.

"We have already summoned six people, sending separate notices to quiz them on April 4, 5 and 9," Abu Mohammad Mustafa Kamal, secretary of the ACC, told The Daily Star today.

One of the biggest leaks in journalistic history, the Panama Papers reveals the secretive offshore companies used to hide wealth, evade taxes and commit fraud by the world's dictators, business tycoons and criminals.

Some local media published some names of Bangladeshis hinting their involvement in the scam, but it could not be confirmed till date.

On April 7, the ACC formed a three-member committee to find whether there are any names of Bangladeshis.

Talking to The Daily Star today, the commission secretary said the ACC sent separate summons to 11 people so far.

Of the 11, two could not be found at the addresses, he added.

Among the nine, the ACC recorded statements of three people last week.

Panama Papers are documents obtained from a Panama-based offshore services provider called Mossack Fonseca. The documents were received by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).