Graft case against Falu: ACC rejects probe, appeals for further investigation

Rejecting the probe report, the Anti-Corruption Commission today filed an application for further investigation into the case filed against former BNP lawmaker Mosaddek Ali Falu and two others over siphoning Tk 183.92 crore to Dubai.

ACC Public Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam submitted the application with the Dhaka Divisional Special Judge's Court.

After a short hearing, Judge Syed Kamal Hossain fixed December 1 further hearing on the issue.

In the application, the prosecutor said the ACC found some lacking in the probe report which was submitted earlier by the investigation officer. So, it is needed to further investigate into the case by another investigators, Salam added in the application.

On December 13 last year, Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court accepted the charges against Falu and two others and issued arrest warrant against him (Falu) as he was shown fugitive in the charge sheet.

Later, a gazette notification was published asking Falu to appear before it but he did not comply with the court order. The judge then transferred the case to the trial court for its disposal.

The two others are SAK Ikramuzzaman, managing director of RAK Ceramics and Rakhen Development Company Ltd, and Syed AK Anwaruzzaman, director of Star Ceramics Private Ltd. Both of them had earlier secured bail from the trial court.

ACC Deputy Director Md Gulshan Anowar Prodhan, also the investigation officer of the case, on September 30 last year submitted the charge sheet to the Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka.

Falu, a former advisory council member of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, was shown "fugitive" in the charge sheet as he did not obtain bail from any court like the other two.

The IO dropped the name of another accused Md Amir Hossain, former director of RAK Consumer Products Ltd and Star Ceramics Private Ltd, from the charges as his involvement with the money laundering charge was not proven.

On May 13 of 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Uttara Paschim Police Station against Falu and three others under the Money Laundering Act for siphoning Tk 183.92 crore to Dubai.