In a case filed over embezzlement of funds from Sonali Bank through loan fraud, a court has sentenced 11 individuals, including the bank’s former Managing Director (MD), to varying terms of imprisonment.
On Monday, Judge Md Zakaria Hossain of Dhaka’s Special Judge Court-6 delivered the verdict.
The convicted individuals are: former MD of the bank Humayun Kabir, Deputy Managing Director (DMD) Mainul Haque, General Managers Noni Gopal Nath and Mir Mohidur Rahman, Assistant General Managers (AGM) Saiful Hasan and Kamrul Hossain Khan, Deputy General Manager (DGM) Safiz Uddin Ahmed, and from Khan Jahan Ali Sweaters Ltd, Chairman Tajul Islam, Managing Director A Jalil Sheikh, Director Rafiqul Islam, and Mir Mohammad Shawkat Ali.
Among them, the first seven (former Sonali Bank officials) were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk10,000 each for criminal breach of trust and illegal embezzlement of funds. In default of payment, they will face an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
The remaining four were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk11,475,668 for criminal breach of trust and illegal embezzlement of funds. This amount is to be confiscated in favor of the state. The court has ordered the recovery of this money.
Additionally, for fraud, they were each sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk100,000. In default of payment, they will face another six months of simple imprisonment.
The two types of sentences will run consecutively. Therefore, they will have to serve a total of 10 years in prison.
Court bench assistant Fakir Md Zahidur Islam said: “Four of the accused were present in court during the verdict. After the sentencing, they were taken back to jail with warrants for their imprisonment. Seven of the accused remain absconding. The court has issued both conviction and arrest warrants against them.”
It has been revealed that between February 12 and May 17, 2012, Tajul Islam, A. Jalil Sheikh, Rafiqul Islam, and Mir Mohammad Shawkat Ali of Khan Jahan Ali Sweaters Ltd. showed 10 LCs/contracts at Sonali Bank’s Hotel Sheraton branch to obtain pre-shipment credit.
Based on this, through 14 pieces (PCs), they received Tk13,889,083 against a claim of Tk3 million. Out of this, Tk2,413,415 was adjusted. The remaining Tk11,475,668 was not settled. With the illegal cooperation of bank officials, the officials of Khan Jahan Ali Sweaters Ltd. embezzled this money.
In this regard, then Deputy Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), SMM Akhtar Hamid Bhuiyan, filed a case at Ramna Model Police Station on January 1, 2013. After investigation, on May 22, 2014, then Assistant Director of the commission Md Nazmuzzayadat submitted the charge sheet to the court.
On November 15, 2015, the court framed charges against the accused and ordered the trial to begin. During the trial, the court recorded testimonies from 41 out of the 61 witnesses mentioned in the charge sheet.
Previously, several senior officials of Sonali Bank were sentenced in various cases over involvement in loan fraud. However, most of the convicts remain absconding.
