Editing Robert Altman (section)

===Congressional Investigations and Indictment===
Senate and New York Investigations: The 1991–1992 Senate investigations, led by Senators John Kerry and Hank Brown, scrutinized Altman’s role as president of First American. He and Clifford were indicted in New York in 1992 on charges of fraud and bribery related to BCCI’s illegal acquisition of the bank. The investigations highlighted BCCI’s CIA connections, noting the agency’s use of BCCI accounts and its failure to share information with regulators. Altman testified that he was unaware of BCCI’s secret control of First American, claiming he and Clifford were misled by Abedi.

Acquittal in 1993: Altman was acquitted of all charges in New York, and federal charges were dropped after a $5 million settlement to resolve civil claims. The investigations underscored the CIA’s secrecy about its BCCI accounts, which limited what Altman could have known about the bank’s intelligence-related activities.

Allegations by BCCI Insiders: A former BCCI officer, cited in reports by Peter Dale Scott, claimed Abedi had ties to the CIA from his time at United Bank Limited, with Richard Helms allegedly encouraging BCCI’s creation as an intelligence front. Altman’s role as BCCI’s U.S. legal representative and First American’s president could imply he was part of this network.