Interpol’s red alert against PK Halder could be issued ‘anytime’
On 9 December, 2020 the HC sought an update on an arrest warrant being issued for PK Halder
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) could issue a red alert anytime against Prashanta Kumar Halder alias PK Halder – the alleged mastermind behind one of the biggest financial scams in Bangladesh's history – says the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The Canadian government has provided Bangladesh with the details of PK Halder's property in that country, the commission lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the press Sunday.
After embezzling Tk3,500 crore from Bangladesh, PK Halder is believed to be in hiding in Canada right now.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The ACC updated the High Court (HC) on him Sunday. During the time, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik appeared for the state while Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC.
Later, the anti-graft watchdog lawyer told journalists that the Canadian government provided some more information about PK Halder apart from the details about his property.
In the meantime, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin told the press that PK Halder's location will become known, wherever he hides in any of 194 countries in the world, once the red alert is issued.
"One of his Canadian addresses has already been found," he added.
During the HC hearing, four individuals, who invested in the International Leasing and Finance Service Limited (ILFSL) and were swindled by ILFSL's then-director PK Halder, turned up. The investors include former Chief Justice Mostafa Kamal's daughter Dr Nashid Kamal, gallantry freedom fighter Shawkat Ur Rahman and cancer patient Samia Binte Mahbub.
The investors complained about how the central bank took action against PK Halder. They also urged the court to pave the way for retrieving the money they had saved and then lost in the investments.
The HC ordered the ACC to add the financial scam victims to the ACC case, and submit the written statements of the four investors to the court. The court also set Tuesday for the next hearing of the case.
PK Halder went into hiding after allegedly embezzling a huge amount of money from various financial institutions.
Even though he wanted to return to the country, on the condition of returning the money, he did not return saying he was ill after the HC ordered his arrest.
Sources say he is living a lavish life in Begum Para, Canada. According to an ongoing ACC investigation, he embezzled at least Tk11,000 crore from different organisations and financial institutions. According to ACC sources, the amount of embezzled money may increase as the investigation progresses.
Among the institutions, he and his accomplices allegedly misappropriated around: Tk3,500 crore from ILFSL, Tk2,200 crore from FAS Finance, Tk2,500 crore from Reliance Finance, and Tk3,000 crore from People's Leasing.
PK Halder also siphoned off Tk1,000 crore to Canada, Singapore and India, the ACC investigation revealed.
