The former deputy general manager of state-owned Sonali Bank’s branch in Mohipal appeared at a hearing yesterday accused of loan forgery.
Sources said Azad Kamal allegedly embezzled around Tk7m from the Mohipal branch in the name of 165 fake institutions from September to November, 2011.
The accused allegedly collaborated with Abul Kashem, the former manager of the Mohipal branch, and a local syndicate to create fake loan documents to embezzle the huge sum of money.
Earlier on August 5, Md Ismail Hossain Majumder, manager of the bank’s Mohipal branch, filed a complaint against Abul Kashem and 74 others with the Feni model police station.
Abul Kashem was then fired from the job in this connection and a committee was formed to probe the allegations. The Anti-Corruption Commission of Chittagong bureau has also been investigating the allegations.
Bank sources claimed Azad Kamal was the main culprit of the loan forgery, further alleging that high officials of the bank overlooked the corruption due to Azad’s political influence.
Meanwhile, former manager of the bank’s Mohipal branch Md Mosrafa was allegedly forced to resign from the job after identifying the corruption.
On August 14, Comilla divisional office of the bank filed a charge sheet against Azad, and he was removed from his post and transferred to Chittagong.
Amin Uddin Ahmed, general manager of the bank’s Comilla divisional office, attended yesterday’s proceedings at the bank’s principal office in Feni as the hearing officer.
