Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)
Pandora Papers' names should not be discussed as the issue pending with court: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said on Wednesday that it will not be wise for him to discuss Bangladeshi businessmen named by the Pandora Papers.
He said the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) submitted names of 42 persons to the High Court. Now the matters remain pending with the court.
"So, I should not discuss the matter while the issue is pending with the court", he told reporters while responding to a question after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPA) on Wednesday.
Read: I’ve no mechanism to gather money-laundering info: Finance Minister
Eight Bangladeshis and five addresses with links to Bangladesh were included in the latest document released under the Pandora Papers late Monday night; all of them owned business establishments in the British Virgin Islands.
The Pandora Papers are 11.9 million leaked documents with 2.9 terabytes of data that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published beginning on 3 October 2021.
The leak exposed the secret offshore accounts of 35 world leaders, including current and former presidents, prime ministers, and heads of state as well as more than 100 billionaires, celebrities, and business leaders.
Mohammad Bhai, Sakina Miraly, Nihad Kabir, Anita Rani Bhowmik, Islam Manzurul, Walter Pollak, Daniel Ernesto Iubatti and Sayedul Huda Chowdhury are named on the latest list.
The finance minister said some 43 names of individuals and firms were submitted to the court.
"Gradually more names will be submitted", he added.
Meanwhile, the ICIJ said that the names being mentioned on the list do not necessarily mean they were involved in any illegal activities.
The leaks show that the names of the entities are largely foreign sounding but the addresses used are located in Bangladesh.
The "Pandora Papers" investigation -- involving some 600 journalists from media including The Washington Post, the BBC and The Guardian -- is based on the leak of documents from 14 financial services companies around the world.
Read: ‘No idea who’re siphoning off money; give me a list’: Finance Minister
It began in October earlier this year, where current and former leaders were featured in the latest vast trove of documents analyzed by the ICIJ -- facing allegations ranging from corruption to money laundering and global tax avoidance.
The new list contains some 740,000 individuals and organizations, from countries (apart from Bangladesh) such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Argentina.
Among the eight Bangladeshis, Nihad Kabir, president of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has set up a company in the British Virgin Islands named Capital Fair Holding Limited. The company was registered on August 8, 2008.
Manzurul also owns a company in the British Virgin Islands named Oriental Agricultural Chemical Company.
He used an address in Gulshan, Bangladesh, as well as a UK identity.
Among others, Saidul Huda, Sakina and Mohammad Bhai have cited Gulshan addresses while Anita Rani gave an address of Chawkbazar.
Saidul owns a company named Beben International, Anita owns Enterprise Holdings Limited, Sakina owns Moon Wrecker Services Corporation, Mohammad Bhai owns 1936 Holdings Limited, Prahmad owns Slint Link Enterprise Limited and Daniel owns Cudel Limited.
Earlier, in a document published by the Pandora papers in the first phase, the name of a Bangladeshi businessman Abdul Awal Mintoo was mentioned along with a businessman from Nepal.
The ICIJ did not disclose the data of Pandora Papers publicly but exchanged it with the stakeholders.
In most countries, the ICIJ stresses, it is not illegal to have assets offshore or to use shell companies to do business across national borders.
But such revelations are no less of an embarrassment for leaders who may have campaigned publicly against tax avoidance and corruption, or advocated austerity measures at home.
Embezzlement of Tk176cr: HC orders arrest 15 accused in a week
The High Court on Tuesday ordered the authorities concerned to arrest in a week the 15 accused, including two former managing directors (MDs) of AB Bank, in a case over embezzling Tk 176 crore from AB Bank.
The court also directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), immigration police and the Inspector General of Police(IGP) to take step so that the accused cannot flee the country.
Read: HC wants to know of steps against Panama and Paradise Papers money launderers
The accused are: former MDs of AB Bank Moshiur Rahman Chowdhury and Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, owner of Ershad Brothers Corporation Md Ershad Ali, the bank's former EVP and branch manager ABM Abdus Sattar, SVP and former relationship manager Anisur Rahman, AVP Md Ruhul Amin, EVP and Head of CRM Wasika Afrozi, VP and CRM Member Mufti Mustafizur Rahman, Former SEVP and Head of CRM Salma Akter, AVP and CRM Member Emarat Hossain Fakir, Former Principal Officer Touhidul Islam, SVP and CRM member Shamim A Morshed, VP and CRM member Khandaker Rashed Anwar, AVP and CRM member Sirajul Islam, former VP and credit committee member Mahfuz-ul Islam.
The HC bench of Justice Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice AKM Zahirul Haque passed the order while hearing on the bail pleas of two accused in the case-Abdur Rahim, former AVP and relationship manager of the bank and Shahidul Islam, former VP of the bank, who are now behind bars.
The court also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why they should not be granted bail in the case.
Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik for the state.
Khurshid Alam Khan said that during the hearing of the bail pleas of Abdur Rahim and Shahidul Islam, the court wanted to know where are the rest 15 accused while these two are in jail.
Read: HC orderss 24/7 surveillance on activities of Rajarbagh Pir, syndicate
Later, the court then ordered the arrest of the 15 fugitives, including two former MDs, a businessman and bank officials, in a week. The arrest must be made in seven days of receiving the order.
On June 9 this year, the ACC filed the case with its integrated office in Dhaka against the accused on charges of corruption and embezzlement of money.
According to the case, these officials worked together to prepare work orders by abusing their power for fraudulent purposes.
They withdrew TK176 crore using these fake documents and by giving seven illegal bank guarantees without the approval of the office and embezzled too.
ACC sues Khulna General Hospital staff for embezzling Tk 2.5 crore
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday filed a case against a lab technologist of Khulna General Hospital for embezzling Tk 2.58 crore collected from Covid-19 tests.
Khandaker Kamruzzaman, deputy assistant director of Khulna district office of ACC, filed the case, said its Deputy Director (Public Relations) Muhammad Arif Sadeq.
Read: Khulna Hospital technologist decamps with Tk 2.5 crore Covid test fees
According to the case, Prakash was in charge of collecting the fees for Covid-19 tests from the people going abroad.
From July, 2020 to July, 2021, he collected a total of Tk 4.24 crore Of this, he deposited Tk 1.66 crore to the government treasury and embezzled the remaining Tk 2.57 crore .
He had been manipulating a number of people taking the tests since July 2 in 2020 to gain illegal financial benefits, according to the allegation.
Later a five-member inquiry committee was formed headed by Khulna General Hospital Civil Surgeon and Supervisor Dr Niaz Mohammad.
Read:Man to die for killing wife in Khulna
According to the inquiry report, the amount deposited was over Tk 2.57 crore less than the amount that was supposed to be received.
Later, an explanation was sought from him on 22nd September and he promised to provide it the following day. Since then he has been missing.
Immediately after this, a general diary (GD) was filed from Khulna Civil Surgeon's Office at Khulna Police Station on September 28. Preliminary evidence of embezzlement against Prakash Kumar Das was found.
FR Tower design forgery: Court indicts building owner, Rupayan Group Chairman, 14 others
A Dhaka court on Monday framed charges against 16 people including the building owner and Rupayan Group’s chairman in a case filed over fabricating the design of FR Tower.
Dhaka divisional special judge Syed Kamal Hossain passed the order and officially started the trial of the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), said ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain Jahangir.
Read:Court indicts ex-Rajuk chairman, three others over FR Tower fire
Meanwhile the court has acquitted two people of the charges and set December 1 for recording testimonies.
The indicted accused include Syed Md Hossain Imam Faruque, leaseholder of FR Tower, Liakat Ali Khan Mukul, chairman of Rupayan Housing Estate, and President of FR Tower Owners’ Society and Managing Director of Quasem DryCell Tasvir ul Islam.
Also included among the accused are Md Shamsul Alam, former director of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk), it’s assistant director Shah Md Sadrul Alam, assistant authorized officer Md Nazrul Islam, former supervisor Jahanara Begum, assistant director Meheduzzaman, high quality assistant Md Saiful Alam and Md Shafiullah, building inspector Imrul Kabir and Md Shawkat Ali, former authorized officer Md Shafiqul Islam, low quality assistant Mhuhammad Mojibur Rahman Molla, and office assistants Md Enamul Haque and Shawkat Ali.
The two acquitted are-Md Mofazzel Hossain and Abdullah Al Baki.
The 23-storied FR Tower caught fire on March 28, 2019, leaving 25 people dead and 73 others injured.
The Anti-Corruption Commission found that the building had narrow exit points and staircases, and no fire alarm. Also, the fire exits were blocked.
Read: FR Tower fire: Former Rajuk chairman excluded from charge sheet
The FR Tower authority had permission for a 15-story building, but they had allowed builder Rupayan to illegally add eight more floors over time.
On June 25, 2019, ACC Deputy Director Abu Bakar Siddique filed the case with ACC's integrated district office Dhaka-1 over RAJUK’s approval, fee submission, fabricating design and approving it along with another case over the fire incident.
HC accepts Babar's appeal for hearing
The High Court on Monday accepted former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar appeal against his eight-year jail term for amassing ill-gotten wealth worth Tk 7.5 crore and hiding the information.
A single bench of Justice Md Selim passed the order and also stayed Babar's fine in this case.
Read: Babar gets 8 years in graft case
Lawyer Ruhul Quddus Kajal appeared for the appeal while lawyer Md Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Earlier on October 12, Dhaka Special Judge Court-7 sentenced Babar to eight years in jail in this case.
The court also imposed a fine of Tk 10,000 on Babar and ordered the forfeiture of over Tk 6.26 crore in his bank account. Babar will have to undergo an additional three months' imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine.
Later, Babar’s counsel appealed to the court against the judgment.
On January 13, 2008, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the corruption case against Babar at the Ramna Model Police Station.
On July 16, 2008, deputy assistant secretary of ACC, Rupok Kumar Saha, submitted a charge sheet against him.
Read:Judgment in Babar’s graft case on Oct 12
Babar was arrested from his Gulshan residence on May 28, 2007. He was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment in an arms case on October 30, 2007.
He was also sentenced to death in the 10-truck arms haul and August 21 grenade attack cases.
In 2018, a fast-track tribunal sentenced 19 people, including Babar, to death in the case filed over the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in the capital in 2004.
Ex-CJ Sinha gets 11 years in graft case
A special court in Dhaka on Tuesday sentenced former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to 11 years’ imprisonment in a case filed over laundering Tk 4 crore.
Judge of the Dhaka Special (Court-4) Sheikh Nazmul Alam Khan handed down the verdict.
The court also fined S K Sinha Tk 45 lakh, in default, to suffer six months more rigorous imprisonment.
Read:CJ Sinha corruption case: Spl court defers judgment to Oct 21
It also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate Tk 78 lakh from his bank account.
The court also sentenced eight other accused in the case to different jail terms while acquitted two others -- Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha --as allegations brought against them were not proved.
Former managing director of Farmers Bank AKM Shamim got four years’ jail with a fine of Tk 50,000 while Santri Roy Simi and Ranjit Chandra Saha were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each with a fine of Tk 10,000.
The remaining four accused -- Gazi Salahuddin, senior executive vice president and former head of credit division of the bank, Swapan Kumar Roy, first vice president (Credit division), Shafiuddin Askari Ahmed, vice president Md Lutful Haque -- were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each and fined Tk 25,000 each.
Read: Money laundering case: EX- CJ Sinha among 11 indicted
On July 10, 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case accusing former chief justice SK Sinha and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore.
Earlier, the judgment in the graft case was scheduled to be delivered on October 5 and then it was deferred to October 21 as the judge was on leave.
On August 29, seven of the 11 accused in the case pleaded "not guilty".
They are Mahbubul Haque Chisty, former audit committee chairman of Farmers Bank, former managing director of the bank AKM Shamim, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Rat and Md Lutful Haque, and former senior executive vice presidents (SEVPs) Gazi Salahudiin, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha.
On August 24, the defence lawyers grilled the investigating officer of the case, Benazir Ahmed, also the director of the ACC. Twenty-one witnesses had testified in the case.
Read: Ex-CJ Sinha, 10 others accused of graft, money laundering
On September 25, 2019, the anti-graft body summoned five officials of Farmers Bank for interrogation over the deposit of Tk 4 crore in CJ Sinha’s account with the Supreme Court branch of Sonali Bank.
On December 10, 2019, the investigation officer in the case submitted a chargesheet against the 11 accused. On August 13, 2020, a court framed charges against the 11, including Sinha.
Court sets Jan 10 for framing charges against Samrat in graft case
A Dhaka Court on Monday fixed January 10 for framing charges against expelled Jubo League leader and casino kingpin Ismail Hossain Chowdhury Samrat in graft case.
The case was scheduled to be heard in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayesh on Monday. However, the prison authorities sent a custody warrant without appearing in court as Samrat was ill.
The court then fixed January 10 for holding the hearing on the charge sheet.
Read:Court sets Nov 30 for framing charges against Samrat in arms, drug cases
Subhash Kumar Ghosh, senior jail superintendent of Keraniganj Central Jail, said in the custody warrant that Samrat has been undergoing treatment in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Hospital since November 24 last year. And so, it was not possible to produce him in court.
Earlier on Wednesday, the court issued a production warrant and ordered the prison authorities to produce Samrat before it on October 25 in a graft case.
According to the case, Samrat was accused of acquiring assets worth Tk 2.94 crore beyond his known sources of income. The Deputy Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against him on November 12 in 2019.
On November 26 last year, the investigation officer of the case, Jahangir Alam, submitted a charge sheet before the court.
Read: Rab presses charges against Samrat, Arman in drug case
On October 6 in 2019, Rab arrested Samrat and his associate Enamul Haque Arman from Chauddagram in Cumilla. Rab later raided his Kakrail office on that day. During this time large quantities of foreign liquor, pistols and two hides of kangaroo were seized from his office.
He was later sentenced by a mobile court to six months in prison under the Wildlife Conservation Act and was sent to jail the same day.
Why Regent's Shahed should not be granted bail: HC
The High Court on Monday issued a rule seeking explanation as to why Regent group chairman Mohammad Shahed should not be granted bail in a money laundering case.
The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the rule.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and others concerned have been asked to respond to the rule within four weeks.
Read: Regent's Shahed denied bail in money laundering case
Advocate Sagir Hossain Leon appeared for Shahed in the court while Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC.
On May 24, the High Court denied bail to Mohammad Shahed in the case.
On August 25 last year, Criminal Investigation Department inspector Ibrahim Hossain filed the case against Shahed and Regent Group Managing Director Masud Parvez at Uttara West Police Station on charge of laundering 11.02 crore.
On July 15 last year, Rab members arrested Shahed from the border area of Satkhira's Debhata on charge of issuing fake Covid certificates.
Read: Arms case: Regent Chairman Shahed sentenced to life imprisonment
Rab members raided the Uttara and Mirpur branches of Regent Hospital on July 6 and arrested eight people on charges of issuing fake Covid-19 certificates and charging exorbitant fees for Covid testing and treatment of inpatients.
On July 7 last year, the head office of the Regent Group and both the hospitals were sealed off and 17 people, including Shahed, were sued on charges of issuing fake Covid test reports and taking money from Covid patients for tests and treatment.
On Sept 28, 2020 a Dhaka court sentenced him to life imprisonment in an arms case.
Ex-CJ corruption case: Spl court defers judgment to Nov 9
A special court in Dhaka on Thursday deferred to November 9 the pronouncement of its judgment in the graft case against former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others.
Dhaka Special Judge (Court-4) Sheikh Nazmul Alam Khan set the new date.
Read: CJ Sinha corruption case: Spl court defers judgment to Oct 21
On October 5, the court fixed October 21 for delivering the judgment in the graft case filed against the former chief justice and 10 others for laundering Tk 4 crore.
On August 29, seven of the 11 accused in the case pleaded "not guilty" in the case.
They are Mahbubul Haque Chisty, former audit committee chairman of Farmers Bank, former managing director of the bank AKM Shamim, vice presidents Swapan Kumar Rat and Md Lutful Haque, and former SEVPs Gazi Salahudiin, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha.
On August 24, the defence lawyers grilled the investigating officer in the case, Benazir Ahmed, the director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Some 21 witnesses had testified in the case.
Read:Money laundering case: EX- CJ Sinha among 11 indicted
On July 10, 2019, the ACC filed the case accusing former chief justice Sinha and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore.
On September 25, 2019, the anti-graft body summoned five officials of Farmers Bank for interrogation over the deposit of Tk 4 crore in Sinha’s account with the Supreme Court branch of Sonali Bank.
On December 10, 2019, the investigation officer in the case filed a chargesheet against the 11 accused. On August 13, 2020, a court framed charges against the 11, including Sinha.
Former DGHS chief gets bail in Regent Hospital scam case
A Dhaka court on Thursday granted interim bail to former director general of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad in the Regent Hospital scam case.
Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge KM Imrul Kayes granted the relief to Azad till November 2 on a bond of Tk 20,000 after the ex-DGHS surrendered in the court this morning.
Read: Regent Hospital scam: ACC approves chargesheet against ex-DGHS DG, 5 others
On September 20, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) approved a chargesheet against six people, including Azad, in the corruption case.
Azad was not initially named in the chargesheet but his name was added later following an investigation, Deputy Director of ACC's Public Relations Office Md Arif Sadeq told UNB.
Deputy Director of the anti-graft commission Farid Ahmed Patwary lodged the complaint against five people at Dhaka Coordinated Office-1 in September last year for embezzling Tk 1.37 crore by issuing fake Covid certificates from Regent Hospital.
The five others accused in the case are Regent Group Chairman Shaheduzzan, former DGHS Director Aminul Hasan, Deputy Director Yunus Ali, Assistant Director Shafiur Rahman, and Research Officer Didarul Islam.
Read: Regent's Shahed denied bail in money laundering case
Last year, numerous cases of mismanagement and irregularities in the health sector got exposed when physicians of some government hospitals, including Mugda General Hospital, complained of receiving low-quality masks and protective equipment.
The issuance of fake Covid-19 certificates by some hospitals triggered huge criticism at home and abroad. In fact, the scan came to light during a drive at Regent Hospital on July 6.
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion arrested Regent chairman Mohammad Shahed from the Komorpur border area in Debhata upazila of Satkhira district on July 15 on charges of issuing fake Covid certificates.