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Robert Morgenthau

Robert Morgenthau (1919-2019) was the longest-serving Manhattan District Attorney in history, serving from 1975 to 2009, and initiated the prosecution of BCCI, Clark Clifford, and Robert Altman after Senate investigator Jack Blum brought him evidence in March 1989.

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Robert Morgenthau was the Manhattan district attorney known for his integrity and persistence in exposing government and business corruption.1

Role in BCCI Investigation

Morgenthau became involved in the BCCI investigation after Jack Blum brought the case to his attention in March 1989.2 Blum described BCCI as the "biggest bank fraud in the history of the world."3 Morgenthau decided to pursue the case, stating that if New York City was the banking center where money was laundered, then it was within his jurisdiction.4

His office, particularly through his chief of investigations Michael Cherkasky and top investigator John Moscow, spearheaded a comprehensive investigation into BCCI's activities.5 Morgenthau's efforts were met with resistance from federal authorities, including the Department of Justice, who he accused of hindering his investigation.6

In July 1991, Morgenthau announced indictments against BCCI and its former top officers, Agha Hasan Abedi and Swaleh Naqvi, describing the case as "the largest bank fraud in world financial history."7 He also indicted Clark Clifford and Robert Altman in July 1992 on charges of bribery and fraud related to their involvement with BCCI.8

Morgenthau's investigation also targeted Kamal Adham, who eventually pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.9

Background and Reputation

Morgenthau, at seventy years old during the BCCI investigation, was described as a lean figure with silver hair and a patrician manner.10 He was soft-spoken and considered one of the most important men in New York.11 His family had been part of the political establishment since 1886, with his great-grandfather immigrating from Bavaria and his father serving as Franklin Roosevelt's secretary of the Treasury.12

Morgenthau's reputation as a crusader was built during his time as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a position he held after being appointed by Kennedy in 1960.13 He was known for his independence and his willingness to pursue cases against powerful figures.14

Sources

  1. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 48. ↩
  2. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 48. ↩
  3. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 48. ↩
  4. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 51. ↩
  5. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 51. ↩
  6. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 377. ↩
  7. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 152. ↩
  8. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 390. ↩
  9. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 391. ↩
  10. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 48. ↩
  11. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 48. ↩
  12. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 49. ↩
  13. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 49. ↩
  14. Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 49. ↩

Connected to

Organization
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
The Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) was a Pakistani-founded offshore bank that operated across 78 countries before its 1991 collapse exposed a decade-long conspiracy involving money laundering for drug cartels and intelligence agencies, illegal acquisition of U.S. banks, bribery, fraud, and arms trafficking, in what regulators called the largest bank fraud in history.
6 shared pages
viaJack Blum · Eddie George · Clark Clifford · Khalid bin Mahfouz · Swaleh Naqvi
Person
Clark Clifford
Clark Clifford (1906-1997) was a Washington attorney who served as Special Counsel to President Truman, co-authored the National Security Act of 1947, served as Secretary of Defense under Lyndon Johnson, and became the central American figure in the BCCI scandal after he and his partner Robert Altman personally vouched to banking regulators that BCCI would not secretly own First American Bank -- a representation that proved false.
3 shared pages
viaClark Clifford · Swaleh Naqvi

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