SC orders to open 10 bank accounts of Unigateway

The Supreme Court today ordered the authorities concerned to activate 10 frozen bank accounts of a multilevel marketing company-- Unigateway to You Trading Private Limited.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order after hearing an appeal filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) challenging a High Court order.

Unigateway’s lawyer Barrister ABM Altaf Hossain told The Daily Star that the ACC filed a case with Gulshan Police Station against his client on September 18, 2010, on charge of laundering Tk 36.70 crore through two bank accounts.

Company’s Managing Director Mushfiqur Rahman, its Chairman Fazal Abdur Rahman and former Chairman Masudur Rahman have been made accused in the case.

Following a petition from the ACC, the special judge’s court-1 of Dhaka in 2010 ordered the authorities concerned to freeze two bank accounts of the company with Social Islami Bank ltd and Standard Chartered Bank (Islami banking) of Gulshan branch in connection with the money laundering case.

The special judge’s court-1 of Dhaka also ordered the authorities to freeze more 10 bank accounts of Unigateway to You Trading Private Limited.

In response to a petition filed by Unigateway, the special judge’s court on April 27, 2011 ordered the authorities to activate the 10 bank accounts.

Following a petition filed by the ACC, the HC on February 14 last year upheld the special judge’s court order of activating the 10 bank accounts of the company.

The ACC then submitted an appeal to the Appellate Division against the HC order.

Following the ACC’s appeal, the apex court chamber judge on August 14 last year stayed the HC order and sent the appeal to its full bench.

After holding hearing on the appeal, the apex court bench today ordered for activating the 10 frozen accounts of the company, the lawyer said. Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC.