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US, UK seek help to recover kickbacks

$200m stashed in overseas banks by Koko, ministers of4-party government

Staff Correspondent
The US and UK yesterday sought Bangladesh's assistance in their bid to recover around $200 million allegedly paid in kickbacks to former prime minister Khaleda Zia's son Arafat Rahman Koko and some ministers of the last BNP-led government.
A delegation comprising the United States justice department's deputy chief Linda M Samuel, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent Deborah Heprevotte and UK Institute of Management consultant Ferdous Ahmed made the request for help at a meeting with Law Minister Shafique Ahmed at his secretariat office.
They handed him a list of the persons suspected of receiving the sums during the immediate past four-party alliance rule.
Shafique last night told The Daily Star, "We have assured the delegation of help in getting back the money."
Earlier, after meeting the US and UK officials, he told reporters that the former prime minister's (Khaleda Zia] son Arafat Rahman Koko and a dozen ministers and leaders of four-
party are alleged to have received $200 million in bribe for awarding work to foreign companies.
The money is currently deposited in banks across 20 countries including Singapore, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, he added.
He said law and finance ministries, Attorney General's Office and Bangladesh Bank will have to work together to assist in retrieval of the alleged bribery proceeds.
Attorney General Salah Uddin Ahmad and ACC counsel Anisul Huq were present at the meeting.
The delegation has been in the city for over a week. They have had several meetings with local officials concerned.
Contacted, a spokesman of the US embassy in Dhaka said their justice department officials are here to follow up the money recovery case and also widen the scope of US-Bangladesh judicial cooperation.
The US government on Thursday filed a forfeiture action against accounts holding the alleged bribes paid to Koko and others.
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year by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who wanted US bunker-busting bombs and permission to fly over Iraq to attack Iran's major uranium enrichment complex at Natanz, the report said.
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