More scam in banks

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday sued six people, including two senior bankers, for misappropriating Tk 13.17 crore.
Former senior assistant vice-president and foreign exchange in-charge Sayed Hassan Imam in Dilkusha branch of Shahjalal Islami Bank Ltd (SIBL) was accused in a case filed with Motijheel Police Station, while suspended manager Abu Taher at the Narayanganj branch of United Commercial Bank Ltd (UCBL) was sued in four cases lodged with Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station.
The accused embezzled the amount by breaching conditions of back to back LCs (Letter of Credit) issued by the two banks.
Meanwhile, different ACC teams yesterday grilled officials of Hall-Mark Group and Destiny Group for swindling money and the local agent of the Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin in connection with the Padma bridge “graft.”
Lutfor Rahman, deputy director of the ACC, filed the lawsuits against the six under the penal code and ACC act.
The other accused in the cases are Mojibur Rahman, managing director of garment factory M/S Fiber Garden Ltd at Ashulia on the outskirts of the capital; its directors Shamima Yasminand Selim Hossain; and Sohel Islam, owner of Misha Knitwear at Fatulla in Narayanganj. Shamima is also the wife of Mojibur.
Talking to newsmen, DD Lutfor Rahman said the accused misappropriated Tk 12.90 crore from the UCBL between 2004 and 2007 and Tk 27 lakh from the SIBL between 2008 and 2009.
The two banks had issued back to back LCs in favour of the two factories to procure goods for exporting garments. But instead of exporting their produce, the factories sold their items in the local market and misappropriated the amount, he added.
If convicted in any of the cases, an accused would have to serve up to 10 years in jail.
HALL-MARK GROUP
The anti-graft watchdog yesterday evening began interrogating three detained top officials of the controversial Hall-Mark Group.
They were placed on a 24-day remand in three of the 11 cases filed in connection with the Sonali Bank loan scam.
A six-member ACC team, led by its deputy director Joynal Abedin Shebly, quizzed Hall-Mark's Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, General Manager Tushar Ahmed and Deputy General Manager of Sonali Bank AKM Azizur Rahman.
Shebly said the trio would be grilled for eight days in the second phase of their 24-day remand.
On October 4, the ACC filed 11 cases against Tanvir and 26 others with Ramna Police Station on charges of swindling Tk 1,568 crore from the Ruposhi Bangla hotel branch of the state-owned Sonali Bank on forged documents.
DESTINY GROUP
Another ACC team yesterday started grilling Destiny 2000 Ltd Chairman Mohammad Hossain and Destiny Group Managing Director Mohammad Rafiqul Amin in a case filed for misappropriating about Tk 2106.65 crore from Destiny Tree Plantation Limited (DTPL).
Earlier on October 17, a Dhaka court placed the two on an 18-day remand in two cases.
On July 31, the ACC filed a case with Kalabagan Police Station against 11 officials of Destiny 2000 Limited, including its chairman and MD, under the Money Laundering Act, 2012, for embezzling the amount from the DTPL.
PADMA BRIDGE GRAFT
Deputy Managing Director Mohammad Mostafizur of Engineering and Planning Consultant faced ACC grilling yesterday in connection with graft allegations in the Padma bridge project.
His company is the local agent of the Canadian consultancy firm SNC-Lavalin, which has been accused of offering huge bribes to several influential Bangladeshi officials to win the consultancy job in the project.
The ACC has so far interrogated 30 people, including former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and prime minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman in this connection.
The WB cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the project on June 29, citing that it had proof of a corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and some individuals.
However, the global lender on September 21 decided to revive its loan deal for the $2.9 billion project after the Bangladesh government agreed to comply with its conditions.