- Over 3,000 Circumstances Underneath Trial in Decrease Courts: A Complete Overview
- Addressing 927 Complaints from Final Yr: A Complete Evaluate
Numerous instances involving cash laundering from Bangladesh have led to discussions and on the identical time given rise to criticism in the previous few years.
The one on Individuals’s Leasing and Monetary Companies Restricted (PLFS) is amongst these instances.
It’s alleged that the PLSF by taking the helm of three extra non-banking monetary establishments has embezzled and siphoned off nearly Tk11,000 crore from 2009 and 2019.
Nonetheless, the Anti-Corruption Fee (ACC) in 37 instances alleged that PLSF chief Proshanta Kumar Halder, well-known as PK Halder, and his aides misappropriated and laundered round Tk 3,500 crore.
This aside, Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh Secretary Normal Main (retd) Abdul Mannan, former BASIC Financial institution chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu, two sons of Tarikat Federation Chairman and Chittagong-2 MP Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, BNP chief Mirza Abbas and his spouse Afroza Abbas, are notably amongst these sued in several graft instances through the years.
Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus can also be on the listing of ACC instances. He was charged for allegedly embezzling Tk25 crore from Grameen Communications.
ACC investigations, instances
Regardless that the ACC has not formally disclosed the precise variety of instances and investigations within the final 5 years, the anti-graft physique’s annual report of 2022 notes that there have been 3,706 impending investigations into the allegations lodged through the years until December final yr.
As many as 927 complaints had been taken into cognizance for investigation final yr when the ACC accomplished probing 1,119 allegations, together with these relationship from earlier years. Nonetheless, it filed simply 406 instances towards these.
The variety of investigations, together with the unsettled ones, amounted to 1,997 final yr. Some 331 investigations had been accomplished throughout the interval whereas remaining reviews had been submitted in 93 different complaints. Cost sheets had been submitted in 224 instances in 2022.
Circumstances in courtroom
A whopping 3,275 instances are being tried within the decrease courts in and outdoors the capital. Fees have been framed in 2,847 of the instances and a few 431 fits have been stayed by the Excessive Courtroom.
Allow us to check out a few of the much-hyped instances.
BASIC Financial institution mortgage rip-off
The ACC has submitted cost sheets in 59 instances filed over the BASIC Financial institution mortgage rip-off. Though these instances had been filed in 2015, the financial institution’s chairman Sheikh Abdul Hai Bachchu was not named in any of the instances.
However all fingers had been already pointed at him because the mastermind of those scams. After eight lengthy years, on the finish of the investigation on June 12, his identify was included as an accused in 58 cost sheets of those 59 instances.
Muhammad Yunus
Nobel Peace laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus and 12 others had been sued for reportedly embezzling over Tk25.22 crore from Grameen Communications. ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anwar filed the case on Might 30 on the ACC Dhaka Built-in District Workplace-1 beneath Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471 and 109 of the Penal Code and Part 4(2)(3) of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act-2012.
PK Halder
An ACC staff led by Gulshan Anwar filed all 37 instances towards PK Halder, one of many infamous characters within the nation’s historical past of monetary scandals.
Two of the instances are beneath trial now.
He fled the nation after being requested to look on the ACC for interrogation on November 14, 2019. The federal government issued a journey ban on him on 3 October that yr.
The transfer got here after the Excessive Courtroom on November 19, 2020, requested the federal government and the ACC as to what steps had been being taken to convey him again to Bangladesh.
Interpol issued a purple discover towards PK Halder on January 8, 2021.
He was arrested by Indian authorities in West Bengal on Might 14 final yr.
Main (retd) MA Mannan
The retired army official and his spouse, Umme Kulsum, together with their aides, had been charged in 10 instances over allegedly embezzling Tk200.
The ACC accused Main (retd) Mannan of misappropriation on the pretext of granting and disbursing loans when he was chairman of Bangladesh Industrial Finance Firm Restricted. Two of the instances are being tried.
Najibul Bashar
Some 14 individuals, together with two sons — Syed Tyebul Bashar Maizbhandari and Syed Aftabul Bashar Maizbhandari — of Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, had been sued on February 19 for allegedly embezzling round Tk 39.40 crore from Prime Finance and Funding. His celebration — Tarikat Federation — is a member of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party alliance.
The lawmaker reacted to the case furiously, calling it to be “politically motivated”. He additionally warned the ACC of dire penalties over the case, garnering the Excessive Courtroom’s resentment of the MP’s feedback.
