Swindle by Pk Halder: Tk 1,000cr of those who helped frozen

The authorities have frozen over Tk 1,000 crore in different bank accounts of 62 people, who allegedly abetted former NRB Global Bank MD PK Halder to launder money abroad from four non-bank financial institutions.

The move was taken upon a plea from the Anti-Corruption Commission.

"It's a big issue now. He [Halder] had links with different people. We've interrogated many of them and so far have found names of 62. About Tk 1,057.80 crore has been frozen," ACC Secretary Md Anwar Hossain Howlader said while talking to reporters at his office yesterday.

In another development, close aides of Halder and proprietors of MTB Marine and Nature Enterprize Nawsher Ul Islam, his wife Momtaz Begum, Basudev Banarjee, and Papia Banarjee were quizzed at the ACC yesterday by its Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Prodhan. The four had skipped a previous ACC quizzing.

ACC officials alleged that Halder along with the four used fake documents to get loans of about Tk 3,520 crore from three NBFIs -- International Leasing and Financial Services (ILFSL), FAS Finance and Investment and People's Leasing and Financial Services -- between 2015 and 2019.

An ACC official involved in the investigation claimed that the four during the interrogation yesterday admitted having links in laundering money. "They got financial benefits in return," the official said.

The four could not be reached for comments.

The ACC has so far arrested two people -- Abontika Boral and Shankha Bepari -- for abetting Halder in amassing illegal wealth.

On January 8 last year, the graft watchdog filed a case against Halder over amassing about Tk 275 crore beyond his known sources of income.

Halder allegedly laundered over Tk 10,000 crore from four non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) abroad.

In connection with the graft case, the ACC seized Halder's two flats and six acres of land following a court order in this regard last month.

According to the case statement, Halder invested about Tk 123.54 crore in Lipro International. He purchased 589 decimals of land for Tk 1 crore in Mymensingh.

During the enquiry, the ACC found that he invested about Tk 67.35 crore in eight companies.

Besides, documents show that Halder has moveable properties worth Tk 32.25 crore. The total amount of his moveable property stands at Tk 99.61 crore, which he amassed directly and indirectly using others' names, reads the FIR.

The graft watchdog found that Halder, now staying abroad, has a legal income of about Tk 12.48 crore against his total wealth, including moveable and immovable properties, of Tk 287.39 crore.

"He has amassed Tk 274.91 crore beyond his known sources of income," it said.

Halder had joined NRB Global Bank as its managing director in 2015. Several enquiries over embezzlement of crores of taka from NBFIs by Halder are now pending with the ACC.