The Anti-Corruption Commission has decided to launch an inquiry against Anwar Hossain Khan, a former chairman of Shahjalal Islami Bank Limited (SIBL), on allegations of embezzling Tk1,800 crore from six private banks.
The commission, in its regular meeting yesterday, appointed Deputy Director Abu Bakar Siddique to lead the inquiry, ACC PRO Pranab Kumer Bhattacharya said.
The commission also received allegations against Anwar of laundering the embezzled money abroad.
“The commission has received allegations that when he [Anwar] was chairman of SIBL, he also served as a director for six other banks at a time. Being a shareholder of six private bank at a time, he embezzled the amount and laundered it abroad,” Pranab told reporters.
Meanwhile, the ACC yesterday interrogated seven policemen for their alleged involvement in embezzling 165 gold bars, which were seized from a car in the capital earlier this year. ACC Deputy Director Jatan Kumer Roy interrogated the officials yesterday from 10:30am to 4pm.
The officials are Khilgoan Zone Assistant Commissioner Iqbal Hossain, sub-inspectors Abdul Mannan, ANS Nuruzzaman, Rashedul Islam and Masud Mia and constables Delwar Hossain and Mohammad Rahim.
So far, 23 poliecmen have been interrogated in connection with the case.
On September 28, the commission will question 10 more police officials including Motijheel zone Assistant Commissioner Jewel Rana and Demra Zone Assistant Commissioner Mainul Islam.
The gold bars were a part of a recovery on March 13, when Rampura police seized 235 gold bars in a private car in the capital’s Banasree area, with no arrest.
Surprisingly, only 70 bars were recorded to have been recovered from the car by police.
However, the cat got out of the bag when police arrested the car’s driver Samir Biswas gold smuggler Jahid Hossain, who revealed that there were 235 gold bars in their confessional statement in front of the chief metropolitan magistrate court.
Then on March 31, the Detective Branch of Police arrested five persons, including three police members, in this regard. The commission filed a case against the arrested with Rampura police station on April 7.