ACC files chargesheet against 3 Agrani Bank officials over misappropriation of Tk3.45cr 

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a chargesheet against four individuals, including three current and former officials of Agrani Bank's Agrabad corporate branch in Chattogram, over alleged misappropriation of Tk3.45 crore from a city corporation fund.

The accused are former officer of Agrani Bank Agrabad Branch (Clear Section) Rafiq Uddin Koraishi, Principal Officer Shubham Dewan, former principal officer Gazi Arifur Rahman, and a Brahmanbaria local Suman Mia, according to the chargesheet, seen by The Business Standard, filed in April this year with the Metropolitan Session Judge Court.

The ACC filed the chargesheet after a thorough investigation spanning three and a half years, the commission's Assistant Director Faisal Quader, who led the investigation, told The Business Standard.

According to the chargesheet, the misappropriation involves cheques drawn in the name of the mayor of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC).

"Instead of depositing the cheques into the designated account for the city corporation, the accused Agrani bank officials deposited them into accused Suman Mia's account, leading to the embezzlement of Tk3.45 crore," Faisal Quader said.

Specifically, 41 cheques from Japan International Development Agency (JICA) amounting to Tk2.46 crore and eight cheques from various contractors totaling Tk99 lakh were diverted into Suman Mia's account and subsequently withdrawn, according to the chargesheet.

The anti-graft body said the embezzlement scheme began to unravel when Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, CCC's chief accounting officer, noticed discrepancies and reported it to the bank manager.

On 17 November 2021, the ACC filed a case against Rafiq Uddin Koraishi for embezzling Tk87 lakh from the city corporation's account. Initially, Koraishi denied any wrongdoing but later confessed to embezzling the funds.

According to the ACC chargesheet, the fraudulent activities were orchestrated through a savings account opened in Suman Mia's name on 18 March 2015, at Agrani Bank's Agrabad branch in Chattogram.

The ACC, in the chargesheet, has also recommended departmental action against the CCC officials, including Humayun Kabir Chowdhury, Accounting Officer (Bills) Ashutosh Dey, and Accounting Officer (Budget) Masudul Islam, for their negligence in supervising the transactions.