Department of Justice Seeks to Recover Approximately $3 Million in
Illegal Proceeds from Foreign Bribe Payments
(alleged bribes paid to Koko)
U.S. Department of Justice
January 09, 2009 Office of Public Affairs
(202) 514-2007/ (202) 514-1888
WASHINGTON—The Department of Justice has filed a forfeiture action
against accounts worth nearly $3 million that are alleged to be the
proceeds of a wide-ranging conspiracy to bribe public officials in
Bangladesh and their family members in connection with various public
work projects, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Friedrich of
the Criminal Division announced today.
The forfeiture action was filed Jan. 8, 2009 , in U.S. District Court
in the District of Columbia against funds located in Singapore held by
multiple account holders. The forfeiture complaint relates primarily
to alleged bribes paid to Arafat "Koko" Rahman, the son of the former
prime minister of Bangladesh , in connection with public works
projects awarded by the government of Bangladesh to Siemens AG and
China Harbor Engineering Company. According to the forfeiture
complaint, the majority of funds in Koko's account are traceable to
bribes allegedly received in connection with the China Harbor project,
which was a project to build a new mooring containment terminal at the
port in Chittagong , Bangladesh .
"This action shows the lengths to which U.S. law enforcement will go
to recover the proceeds of foreign corruption, including acts of
bribery and money laundering," said Acting Assistant Attorney General
Matthew Friedrich. "Not only will the Department, for example,
prosecute companies and executives who violate the Foreign Corrupt
Practices Act, we will also use our forfeiture laws to recapture the
illicit facilitating payments often used in such schemes."
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (Siemens AG), a German corporation, and
three of its subsidiaries pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2008 , to
violations of and charges related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
(FCPA). Specifically, Siemens Bangladesh admitted that from May 2001
to August 2006, it caused corrupt payments of at least $5,319,839 to
be made through purported business consultants to various Bangladeshi
officials in exchange for favorable treatment during the bidding
process on a mobile telephone project. At least one payment to each of
these purported consultants was paid from a U.S. bank account.
According to the forfeiture complaint, the bribe payments from Siemens
AG and China Harbor Engineering Company were made in U.S. dollars, and
the illicit funds flowed through financial institutions in the United
States before they were deposited in accounts in Singapore , thereby
subjecting them to U.S. jurisdiction. Money laundering laws in the
United States cover financial transactions that flow through the
United States involving proceeds of foreign offenses, including
foreign bribery and extortion.
In August 2006, the President announced a National Strategy to
Internationalize Efforts Against Kleptocracy to fight high-level
corruption around the world. This strategy combines the policy and law
enforcement tools of several federal agencies, including the
Departments of Justice, Treasury, State and Homeland Security.
The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Linda Samuel and Trial
Attorney Frederick Reynolds of the Criminal Division's Asset
Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Additional assistance was
provided by the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs.
The case was investigated by the FBI's Washington Field Office in
cooperation with Bangladeshi law enforcement.
http://www.fbi.gov/washingtondc/press-releases/2009/wfo010909.htm
------------------------------------
[Disclaimer: ALOCHONA Management is not liable for information contained in this message. The author takes full responsibility.]
To unsubscribe/subscribe, send request to alochona-owner@egroups.comYahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alochona/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alochona/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
alochona-digest@yahoogroups.com
alochona-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
alochona-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/