The Anti-Corruption Commission has initiated a move to probe corruption allegations in the $101 million cyber heist from Bangladesh Bank in 2016.
The commission鈥檚 scrutiny cell has already prepared a file and gathered necessary documents to launch an inquiry in the incident following the commission鈥檚 approval.
Confirming the move, an ACC director general on Monday told 抖阴精品 that they would conduct an inquiry against those suspected in the reserve heist, including former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman.聽
鈥榃e got some specific information of corruption through media reports and ACC鈥檚 intelligence unit over the incident,鈥� said the official, adding that the formal probe would start within a couple of days after the commission鈥檚 approval.
In February 2016, international hackers stole $101 million from the central bank鈥檚 account with the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States through fraudulent instructions. Investigations revealed that the hackers targeted to steal about $1 billion from the central bank.
Bangladesh has so far recovered around $18 million of the $81 million transferred to the Philippines. It was later suspected that Dridex malware was used for the attack.
After 39 days of the incident, on March 15, 2016, Bangladesh Bank deputy director Zubair Bin Huda filed a case with the Motijheel police against unidentified people under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
Later, the Criminal Investigation Department was tasked with the investigation, but it failed to complete the probe till now.
The Dhaka chief metropolitan magistrate court fixed 79 dates so far asking the CID to submit its probe聽 report but it failed to do so.聽
Contacted, CID special superintendent and its spokesperson Azad Rahman told 抖阴精品 that the investigation was still going on.
鈥榃e sent mutual legal assistance requests to different countries seeking information, and we will submit the probe report before the court after getting a reply to these requests,鈥� he added.
CID officials involved with the investigation, meanwhile, said that they identified negligence of 12 high officials, including the then governor, Atiur Rahman, with the heist.
The hackers succeeded in stealing the money from the reserve because of the negligence in ensuring the security of the bank鈥檚 Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication system, they said.
The officials whose involvement in the heist has so far been found in the ongoing probe were at the time of the incident an executive director; a general manager; four joint directors; three deputy general managers; and two other officers.
Of these officials, except for the executive director, the remaining officials were posted at the time at the forex reserve and treasury management department, accounts and budgeting department, IT operation and communication department, payment system department, and back office of the dealings room.
They provided the hackers opportunity in different ways, said the CID officials, mentioning that the central bank鈥檚 forex reserve SWIFT server was a sensitive system. Despite that, then governor Atiur Rahman approved the connection of Real Time Grace Settlement (RTGS) through the SWIFT and ensured its implementation.
The investigators identified this as a criminal move. RTGS is a specialised fund transfer system through which funds can be transferred from one bank to another instantly.
CID officials also said then deputy governor Abdul Kashem was against providing RTGS service through the SWIFT leading governor Atiur himself to sign the file for providing the RTGS service.
It also reported that then executive director Shuvongkor Saha had a role in the decision making in linking the RTGS with the SWIFT server which disrupted the security of the SWIFT server.
The investigators believe that the $101 million heist happened through the gaps created in the system.
CID officials also named 76 persons from eight countries鈥擴S, India, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong鈥攆or their suspected involvement in the reserve heist.