CID again fail to press charges in court over BB reserves heist

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police have failed for the tenth time to submit chargesheet in the much-talked about Bangladesh Bank reserves heist case.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate had fixed Tuesday as the day for filing the chargesheet.

When CID Additional SP Raihan Uddin Khan failed to do so, the court on Tuesday fixed Feb 15 as the next date.

Court police general recording officer SI Jalal Uddin told bdnews24.com that this is the tenth time that the CID have failed to submit the chargesheet.

About $10 million of the total of over $80 million worth of reserves that made it to a Philippines bank, stolen through online hacking from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, was recovered from that country's Rizal bank.

The remaining amount remains traceless.

In the aftermath of the theft that left Bangladesh red-faced amidst international criticism, Bangladesh Bank lodged a complaint.

While the CID are investigating the case, the finance ministry had appointed a committee headed by former Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Farashuddin.

The committee submitted its report six months ago, but Finance Minister AMA Muhith, despite several announcements, is yet to make the report public.

After allegations that a few Bangladesh Bank staffers acted as 'insiders' in the online theft surfaced, the government has been wary of making the names or the report public, fearing it could hamper recovery of the portion of stolen money from the Philippines.

The report would be made public once all the money is recovered from Philippines, Muhith said recently.

He also said the government fears that the Rizal bank could use the Farashuddin committee report as a shield to shrug their own responsibility.