Sana-Bell, a BMI business partner, sued BMI for transferring "at least $3,700,000 to BMI construction and BMI leasing, all of which was transferred to BMI Leasing without Sana-Bell's knowledge or permission." In 2000, Biheiri was held liable for about $2 million and BMI Leasing for $5,000. Emerson pointed out that the "case raised the question of whether the sudden desire to show an interest in accounting for Sana-Bell's investments in BMI was designed to distance Sana-Bell from BMI in order to avoid awkward questions that might have been asked as part of the 1998 embassy-bombing investigations." In fact, the author reported that one of BMI employees had expressed concern that "funds the accountant was transferring overseas on behalf of BMI may have been used to finance the embassy bombings in Africa."