The Anti-Corruption Commission has given the go ahead for the submission of charge sheets against 21 people, including 11 officials of the Sonali Bank Ltd, for embezzling Tk18.68 crore from the state-owned bank.
At a meeting yesterday, the commission approved the filing of charge sheets in 10 cases – out of 27 – in connection with the misappropriation of loan money from the bank by five companies, which included the Hallmark Group, ACC officials said.
Out of the 10 charge sheets, six will be filed against Paragon Knit Composite Ltd, three against DN Sports Ltd and one against Khanjahan Ali Sweaters Ltd, they said.
The ACC officials also said the commission has already received investigation reports on the remaining 17 cases and they are waiting for approval.
In January 2013, the commission lodged 10 cases with the Ramna police against the companies for embezzling about Tk19.73 crore from the bank’s branch at the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel. An investigation later found that the amount involved was actually Tk18.68 crore.
Company executives who face charges are Paragon’s Managing Director (MD) Saiful Islam Raza, Directors Abdullah Al Mamun and Mokul Hossain; DN Sports’ Chairman Motaharuddin Chowdhury, MD Shafiqur Rahman John and Director Fahmida Akhter Sikha; and Khanjahan Sweaters’ Chairman Tazul Islam Molla, MD Abdul Jalil Sheikh and Directors Mir Mohammad Shawkat Ali and Rafiqul Islam.
The accused Sonali Bank officials include former deputy general manager (GM) of the Ruposhi Bangla branch AKM Azizur Rahman, suspended Assistant GM Saiful Hasan and suspended Executive Officer Abdul Matin.
Also accused were several officials with the bank’s head office, including former MD and chief executive officer Humayun Kabir, former deputy MD Mainul Haque, former deputy GMs Shaikh Altaf Hussain and Safizuddin Ahmed, suspended Assistant GM Kamrul Hossain Khan and suspended Executive Officer Ajaz Ahmed.
Two former officials from the bank’s general manager’s office, Mir Mohidur Rahman and Noni Gopal Nath were also implicated.
On September 16, 2013, the commission approved charge sheets in 11 separate cases against 25 people for the embezzlement of Tk1,568.39 crore from the bank by the Hallmark Group.
The commission approved charges against 12 Hallmark executives and their associates, including MD Tanvir Mahmud, Chairman Jesmin Islam and GM Tushar Ahmed. Former Sonali Bank MD Humayun Kabir and 12 other bank officials were also charged. Tanvir, Tushar and Humayun are now in jail awaiting trial, while Jesmin has been freed on bail.