HC orders probe into ‘loan scams’ in three banks
The High Court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to probe the alleged loan scams in Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank and First Security Islami Bank.
The Anti-Corruption Commission, the Bangladesh Bank, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit and the Criminal Investigation Department of Police have been asked to submit probe reports to the court by April 5.
Issuing a suo motu (voluntary) rule, the HC also ordered the three banks to submit to the court a list of the officials who dealt with the loans along with their addresses.
If the allegations of loan scams are found to be true in the probes, ACC, BB, BFIU and CID will have to inform the court about the actions taken against the persons involved in the scams.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu gave the orders following news reports last month about the alleged loan scams in the three banks.
The bench asked S Alam Group to come up with explanations on the reports that it took Tk 30,000 crore from Islami Bank and to place relevant documents in this regard before the court.
The court also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks why their inaction towards the persons involved in the loan scams should not be declared illegal and why they should not be directed to take action against them.
Secretaries at the ministries of finance, law and home affairs, the BB governor, the ACC chairman and heads of BFIU and the CID have been made respondents to the rule.
On November 24, the Bangla daily Prothom Alo published a report stating that an 'unscrupulous group' had withdrawn Tk 2,460 crore from Islami Bank in November. Islami Bank had sanctioned about Tk 7,000 crore for the eight companies this year.
On November 29, the English daily New Age published another report saying that S Alam Group and its associate companies have taken loans amounting to Tk 30,000 crore from Islami Bank, well above their limit.
Senior Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the ACC while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state during the court proceedings on this issue.
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