ACC files 12 cases against PK Halder, 35 others for embezzlement of Tk4.33 b
The cases have been filed under Sections 406, 409, 467, 468, 471, and 109 of the Penal Code, 1860; Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947; and Section 4(2) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed 12 separate cases against Prashanta Kumar Halder (PK Halder) and 35 others on charges of embezzling Tk4.33 billion by taking loans from FAS Finance and Investment Limited in the names of various fictitious companies.
Assistant Director of the ACC's Public Relations Department, Md Tanzir Ahmed, disclosed the information today.
According to the ACC, loans totaling Tk 4,339,618,009 were shown as approved between 2014 and 2017 in the names of 12 companies from FAS Finance and subsequently misappropriated. Including interest, the outstanding loan amount has stood at Tk 5,310,869,009.
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The cases were filed on 13 January. Deputy Director of the ACC headquarters Md Mashiur Rahman, is the complainant in cases No 1 and 2, while Assistant Director Md. Imran Akon is the complainant in the remaining 10 cases.
ACC investigations revealed that the accused, in collusion with one another, created new and paper-based companies to obtain loans. Most of these companies had no real business operations. Although one or two installments were paid in a few cases, many loans saw no installment payments at all.
Notable accused include former Managing Director of Reliance Finance Limited and NRB Global Bank Limited, Prashanta Kumar Halder (PK Halder); former Chairman of FAS Finance and Investment Limited Md Siddiqur Rahman; former Managing Directors, Md Russell Shahriar and Md Mofiz Uddin Chowdhury; former Chairperson Mahfuza Rahman Baby; and former Chairmen Md Abdul Hafiz and Abdul Motalib Ahmed. Several former directors of FAS Finance and Investment Limited and managing directors of the concerned borrowing companies have also been named as accused.
The ACC further found that no business operations or even the existence of the borrowing companies could currently be traced at the head-office addresses used in their names. It has been alleged that the loans were approved using forged and fraudulent documents.
The cases have been filed under Sections 406, 409, 467, 468, 471, and 109 of the Penal Code, 1860; Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947; and Section 4(2) of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012.
