Sanctions, freezing assets crucial to fight corruption: US State Department

Staff Reporter :
Amid the uproar over money laundering incidences and speculation of US sanctions, the US State Department stated that sanctions are not the sole tools to counter corruption, methods like asset freezing also play a crucial role in the fight against corrupt practices.

The State Department also said that they never preview sanctions prior to their implementation in any country.

The comments came up during a Washington DC press briefing on Tuesday when attention of the State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller was drawn, regarding the allegation against the owner of the S Alam Group and his purported money laundering of over one billion US dollars.

“We never preview sanctions actions before they take place. Generally speaking, sanctions can be a tool to fight corruption.

We have other tools as well, such as freezing assets and giving partner nations information so they can prosecute cases,” Miller said.

In a recent development, Richard Nephew, the US State Department coordinator for global anti-corruption, has concluded his visit to Bangladesh, sparking speculation about potential sanctions against corruption and money laundering.

During his visit, allegations surfaced regarding S Alam Group, and its owner’s purported laundering of over one billion US dollars, which reportedly facilitated the establishment of a significant business empire abroad.

Responding to queries about potential sanctions during his meetings with high-ranking Bangladeshi officials, including the foreign secretary, Nephew indicated that sanctions could be a tool to combat corruption.

However, he refrained from providing specifics.

Listening to all these observations, US Spokesperson Miller said, “We encourage Bangladesh to root out corrupt actors operating within its borders fairly and impartially.”

Drawing attention to a separate matter, Miller was asked that protests unfolded in front of the US State Department, where demonstrators voiced their demands for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

The protesters highlighted the deteriorating situation in the country and their aspiration for democracy.

Responding to these demonstrations, Miller reiterated the United States’ longstanding support for free and fair elections in Bangladesh.

He further emphasised that this policy had been conveyed both publicly and in private discussions with Bangladeshi authorities.

“As we have made clear many times, we support free and fair elections in Bangladesh. We’ve made that clear publicly.

We’ve made that clear in conversations with the Bangladeshi Government, and that will continue to be our policy,” he said.

Over the recent times, the international community has been under close watch on the unfolding issues including corruption issues, political violence and human rights situation ahead of the election.

The world community especially the US has been underscoring the peaceful environment and refraining from political violence with the opposition.

Different international organisations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are recurrently urging the incumbent government to provide political space free of violence and urged the law enforcers to follow the guidelines to abide by.

In a tweet on August 8, Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office said: “Last week, Amnesty verified evidence of human rights violations against protesters by examining photos and video footages and speaking to the eyewitnesses at the protests in Dhaka.

We have since compiled a list of rules and guidelines the police should abide by when facilitating protests, protecting people’s right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.”

It further tweeted that the State has a right to protect and not resort to or escalate violence.