Agent Tells Of Failures On B.C.C.I.
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Seated behind a frosted-glass partition and speaking into a microphone that disguised his voice, a Federal undercover agent who played a central role in building a money-laundering case against the Bank of Credit and Commerce International told a Senate subcommittee today of his frustration that the investigation did not go further. The Government inquiry, the agent said, failed to follow “hundreds of leads” that the foreign bank may have been involved in other cases of handling drug money, arms deals and secretly owning American banks. Justice Department officials later defended their actions before the panel. The former Customs agent, Robert Mazur, frankly admitted that he did not know why the Government investigation of B.C.C.I. did not pursue other evidence unearthed by the undercover work. But he described an investigation and prosecution effort that was, at critical stages, starved for resources and hampered by turf battles among the various Federal agencies involved in the case. Timing Is Questioned Sometimes, Mr. Mazur said that agents had to work round-the-clock to transcribe tapes from their meetings with drug launderers, for example. He also questioned the timing of closing up the undercover operation with the dramatic arrest of several “guests,” including five B.C.C.I. officers, at a supposed bachelor party for Mr. Mazur in Miami on Oct. 8, 1988. More : query.nytimes.com |