The Anti-Corruption Commission has approved three cases against 69 people, including former prime minister’s adviser Salman F Rahman and his sons, over alleged misuse of loan facilities, false export bills, embezzlement and money laundering.
ACC public relations officer Md Aktarul Islam announced the decision at a news conference on Monday. The allegations involve the embezzlement and transfer abroad of money through three companies.
The first case names 22 accused, the second 22 and the third 25. The allegations involve obtaining loan facilities through Springful Apparels, Urban Fashions and Midwest Garments, showing false import-export transactions, embezzling money and transferring it abroad.
Those named include Salman F Rahman, vice-chairman of Beximco Group and former adviser on private industry and investment; his sons A S F Rahman and Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman; company directors Iqbal Ahmed, A B Siddikur Rahman, Masud Ikramullah Khan and Shah Manzurul Haque; managing director Osman Kaiser Chowdhury, also known as O K Chowdhury; and H Shamsuddoha.
Others include Springful Apparels managing director Mohaiminul Islam and director Kohinur Abedin; Crescent Accessories managing director Abu Naim Mahmud Salehin and director Mostafizur Rahman Tanvir; and former Janata Bank managing director Abdus Salam Azad.
According to the ACC inquiry report, the first case concerns loans including Export Development Fund facilities approved and disbursed by Janata Bank’s local office for Springful Apparels. The ACC alleges the facilities were granted even though the relevant directors lacked prior business experience.
The report alleges that the accused created accommodation bills worth $17,091,582.75 through false transactions among themselves. It alleges that $16,621,190.25 was not brought into Bangladesh and was embezzled and transferred abroad, representing more than Tk 141.28 crore.
The second case alleges that Urban Fashions obtained loans including EDF facilities and used false import-export transactions to embezzle about Tk 417.04 crore without importing the goods. The money was later transferred, converted and moved through various channels, the ACC alleges.
The third case concerns loans and EDF facilities taken in the name of Midwest Garments. The ACC alleges that about Tk 563.17 crore was embezzled and transferred abroad through accommodation bills created under the cover of import-export transactions.
The commission approved regular cases under relevant provisions of the Penal Code, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Money Laundering Prevention Act, alleging abuse of power, conspiracy, fraud, forgery, embezzlement of bank funds and money laundering.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report