Bangladesh Central Bank should resume its aborted investigation into the $81-million cyber heist instead of just pressing the Philippine Senate to reopen its inquiry.
“They stopped their investigation and then their ambassador here, John Gomes, started claiming it was an outside job. But their finance minister said it was an inside job,” said Thea Daep, RCBC’ external legal counsel.
Daep questioned BB’s decision not to investigate and not to renew the contract of a US-based investigating company.
“Why don’t they want to know the truth? Before they ask for help from the Philippine government, it is incumbent upon them to submit a full report to the Philippine government, detailing what happened in Bangladesh,” she said.
Daep also recounted the ordeal of a Bangladeshi expert who pointed out the weaknesses of BB after the heist. This expert suddenly disappeared and was found days later in a daze and apparently mentally challenged.
“Something is very wrong here. What is it that they do not want to know and must therefore report to the public? They just keep saying they are the victims and want to get their money back when it was their apparent negligence that started it all,” Daep said.
“Around March, the finance minister of Bangladesh told media he was sure it was an inside job, and the Bank of Bangladesh Governor and two deputies resigned shortly thereafter. To us, these are clear indications of guilt and negligence,” Daep added.
She said BB had been found using inferior and cheap server auxiliaries and having no firewall. It also required six BB officials to put their handprints on a plate in proper sequence before a payment order for the $81 million could go through.