ACC not in contact with India over PK Halder issue

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is not in contact with the India authorities regarding PK Halder, the money launderer from Bangladesh arrested in India.

This was revealed by the ACC acting secretary and director general Syed Mahbub Khan during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon.

When asked if ACC had contacted the Indian authorities to bring PK Halder back to the country, Syed Mahbub Khan replied, "No, ACC has not had direct communication with the Indian authorities."

When asked if it was true that PK Halder had been arrested on the basis of specific information from ACC, the acting ACC secretary said, "The thing is, as we have repeatedly been saying, ACC is the only institution that has filed cases against PK Halder and submitted a charge sheet about this wealth. It has put forward 35 cases against him and the others. Charge sheets will be submitted shortly too. It was ACC's decision to issue a warrant and also to put up a red alert through Interpol. So we feel that surely these steps of ACC led to his arrested in India."

India's intelligence agency ED told the media there that, based on specific information of ACC, raids were carried out in nine locations and PK Halder was then arrested."

Syed Mahbub Khan said, you will have to ask ED why it said that.

He said, on Thursday morning an inter-ministerial emergency meeting was held at the home ministry to bring PK Halder back. Representatives of the law ministry, foreign ministry, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol, ACC and other concerned authorities were present at the meeting. Detailed discussion took place on how PK Halder can be brought back as soon as possible by means of the existing prisoner exchange and extradition law.

The ACC director general said, "It was decided to collect our evidence and documents required to bring PK Halder back from India and to compile these. We will complete this shortly. We will also take steps using the diplomatic and other channels. This is not ACC's task alone. We hope that we will succeed with everyone's concerted efforts."

When asked ACC issued a fresh letter to the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit, the ACC DG said, "In the cases against PK Halder and the charge sheet regarding his wealth, there is information concerning a small amount of his assets in India. That has been included in the case. If we get the remaining information, then we will take action for a supplementary charge sheet. That is why we have written to BFIU. They will gather the information and hand it over to us."

The ACC official went on to say, based on information of BFIU, ACC filed 35 cases against PK Halder and his associates. Now since new information is coming in about their siphoning off the money to India and building up assets there, the Financial Intelligence Unit has been approached anew for information in this regard."

The ACC acting secretary Syed Mahbub Khan said, it was decided in the meeting that, if necessary, an inter-ministerial committee will go to West Bengal in India.

As to whether ACC will be included in the delegation, he said, "If a delegation needs to go, ACC will certainly be there. ACC is the only organisation that has filed cases regarding PK Halder. No other organisation has filed cases against PK Halder. So since ACC is the main organisation,it will certainly be there."