ACC files 12 more cases over Tk 62cr scam

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed 12 more cases against 15 persons over alleged misappropriation of about Tk 62 crore of Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB).

On Thursday, ACC arrested three persons in connection with another case filed over alleged misappropriation of about Tk 3.07 crore of the statutory corporation.

Abdus Samad, a manager of IFIC Bank; Tipu Sultan Farazi, former deputy general manager of ICB; and Ahia Mondal, assistant general manager of ICB, were held in the capital's Segunbagicha area.

ICB Assistant General Manager Sharikul Anam, Assistant General Manager Samsul Alam Akanda and Senior Principal Officer Dhananjay Kumar Majumdar are made accused in the 13 cases.

The other accused are: Samad's wife Nasima Aktar, Kazi Mahmudul Hasan, Shima Aktar, Sheikh Mezbahuddin, Bulbul Aktar, AKM Atikuzzaman, AKM Rezaul Haque, his wife Papia Sultana, and Laila Nur.

ACC Assistant Director Gulshan Anowar Pradhan filed the 12 cases with Ramna Police Station on Saturday.

According to the statement of the case filed over Tk 3.07 crore, Abdus Samad opened an account with ICB on September 1, 2004.

Records show ICB officials gave Samad opportunity to buy shares exceeding the ceiling on March 25, 2008, misusing power.

On October 15 in 2008, the credit balance of his account was 17.48 lakh but on October 16, he was allowed to withdraw Tk 18 lakh, which is violation of Margin Loan Rules.

On October 20, 2008, another Tk 7 lakh was withdrawn.

In 2009, price of shares was gradually increased. Although he had already exceeded the ceiling on loan, ICB officials gave him opportunity to buy shares with public money. The negative balance in Samad's account on April 1, 2009, was Tk 1.27 crore.

Later, price of shares fell and the government incurred a huge loss due to the irregularities.

On December 7, 2011, ICB officials sanctioned another Tk 60 lakh credit to buy shares.

Documents show on March 22, 2016 the debit balance was Tk 3.61 crore and the market price of his securities was Tk 54.2 lakh.

Which means ICB officials gave Samad credit of about Tk 3.07 crore, breaking the margin rules, reads the FIR.

The correspondent could not get the copies of FIRs of the other 12 cases till yesterday.

However, plaintiff of the cases Gulshan Anowar Pradhan told the Daily Star that ICB officials gave loans worth about Tk 62 crore to the accused of these cases., breaking rules in a similar way between 2009 and 2011.