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---
tags: ["Person", "Lawyer", "Government Official", "BCCI"]
---
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 [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|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]] 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 [[Justice Department]], 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 D. Roosevelt|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 [[John F. Kennedy|Kennedy]] in 1960.[^13] He was known for his independence and his willingness to pursue cases against powerful figures.[^14]
## Footnotes
[^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.