Hall-Mark Group Chairman Jasmine Islam is yet to deposit Tk1bn as the first month’s instalment to the Sonali Bank which she had promised to a lower court to secure bail on August 4.
The plaintiff’s lawyer says because of violating the conditions, her bail was supposed to be cancelled on September 3.
Jasmine is accused in all the 11 money laundering cases filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission on October 4 last year for embezzling around Tk30bn from Sonali Bank Ruposhi Bangla branch.
On August 18, the ACC lodged 11 petitions with the High Court, seeking cancellation of the bail in all the cases.
Later on September 1, the High Court in response to the ACC pleas issued a rule for three weeks, asking the Dhaka deputy commissioner and Jasmine why the bail should not be cancelled.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md Zahurul Haque had granted Jasmine the bail for a Tk100,000 bond and stipulating the condition of depositing Tk1bn every month.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan on Saturday told the Dhaka Tribune: “The accused is yet to pay the money. As per the law, her bail was supposed to be cancelled on September 3.”
He also said the bail should not be given to the Hall-Mark chairman considering the gravity of offence.
“Bearing in mind the gravity of the offence, the court should not have given her bail since she was involved with money laundering offense,” he said, adding that such bail was always “illegal” at the High Court and the Appellate Division.
A Dhaka court on June 26 ordered the freezing of all 260 bank accounts of the various Hall-Mark concerns, on the basis of several petitions filed by the ACC.
Jasmine earlier secured bail on February 7 which was later rejected by two different courts following ACC petitions.
She was arrested in a joint drive of Rab and ACC in Manikganj on October 18 last year.
Her husband and Hall-Mark Managing Director Tanvir Mahmood, and General Manager Tushar Ahmed are currently in jail along with several other Sonali Bank officials.
Jasmine’s lawyer Kazi Md Nazibullah Hiru told the Dhaka Tribune that he did not have any idea why the money was not deposited. “Depositing money or not is her decision. I am not authorised to comment on the issue,” he said on Saturday.
“As per my knowledge, Jasmine Islam through her counsel barrister Rafique-Ul Haque has challenged the bail condition terming it inappropriate.”
While appealing for the bail on August 4, Hiru assured the court that Jasmine would pay the amount of Tk1bn regularly to the head office of Sonali Bank.
Asked, he avoided answering the question.
The cases say Sonali Bank’s Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch had lent Tk36.06bn to Hall-Mark Group, T and Brothers, Paragon Group, Nakshi Knit, DN Sports and Khanjahan Ali, violating banking rules.
Of the amount, Hall-Mark alone allegedly swindled Tk26.86bn.
