Case filed against 5 more accomplices of PK Halder

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed cases against five accomplices of Prashant Kumar Halder, alias PK Halder, for acquiring illegal assets inconsistent with their known sources of income.

An ACC deputy director filed the case with the Integrated District Office Dhaka-1 on Monday, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, a director of the commission, told the media on Tuesday.

The accused are Sukumar Mridha, Tapsi Rani Sikder, Asim Kumar Mistry, Swapan Kumar Mistry and Anindita Mridha.

Among them, Sukumar Mridha and her daughter Anindita Mridha were arrested by the ACC on 21 January after interrogation. Asim Kumar Mistry was arrested in the afternoon after being grilled at the ACC headquarters on Monday.

It is alleged in the case that the accused acquired illegal assets worth over Tk20 crore through various illegal businesses and activities in the country and abroad which is inconsistent with their known sources of income.

The ACC filed the case against them under the money laundering prevention act as they siphoned off the illegally acquired money to Indian and other countries.

ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Salauddin is investigating the case filed against PK Halder on 8 January last year for allegedly acquiring illegal assets worth around Tk275 crore.

Halder's close associates Avantika Baral and Shankho Bepari were also arrested as part of the investigation.

Meanwhile, in the first phase of the International Leasing fraud case, the ACC filed 31 cases against 31 people including Halder on 25 January.

On 28 June, PK Halder who is abroad appealed to the current managing director of ILFSL to make arrangements for his return home.

Although the court allowed it, PK Halder did not return and an arrest warrant was issued against him through Interpol.