Embezzlement of Tk 70.82 crore: Charges pressed against PK Halder

The Anti-Corruption Commission today pressed charges against 23 people including former managing director of NRB Global Bank Proshanta Kumar Halder, known as PK Halder, in a case filed over embezzling Tk 70.82 crore from International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL).

ACC Deputy Director Gulshan Anowar Pradhan and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted a charge sheet to the Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court.

The court will decide on May 6 whether the charges will be accepted.

The other accused are: Amitav Adhikari, managing director of Anan Chemical Ltd, and its directors Pritish Kumar Halder, Uzzal Kumar Nandi, Purnima Rani Halder, Ratan Kumar Biswas, Omar Sharif and Rajib Som, ILFSL former managing director Rashedul Haque, former acting managing director Syed Abed Hasan, Vice-President Nahida Runai, Assistant Vice-President Al Mamun Sohag, Senior Manager Rafsan Riad Chowdhury and Company Secretary Rafiqul Islam Khan, ILFSL Directors Nurul Alam, Nasim Anwar, Md Nuruzzaman, MA Hashem, Md Abul Hashem, Zahirul Alam, Anwarul Kabir, Nowsherul Islam and Vashudev Banerjee.

PK Halder, the prime accused in the case, was arrested in Ashoknagar, India, on May 14 of 2022 on charges of money laundering.

Uzzal, Rashedul and Rafsan were earlier arrested and are now in jail custody. Uzzal and Rashedul had also confessed to the embezzlement. Nineteen others were shown fugitives in the charge sheet.

The charge sheet stated that the accused took Tk 70.82 crore from the ILFSL and the amount stood at Tk 103 crore along with interest until October 16, 2022 which was embezzled and laundered by the accused.

The case is one of 52 filed against PK Halder and 85 other people between 2020 and 2022 in connection with the embezzlement of Tk 3,400 crore from various financial institutions in the name of companies owned by him and his family.

On January 24 of 2021, the ACC filed the case against PK Halder and 22 others with its Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka.

According to the prosecution, it was alleged that Uzzal, one of directors of the fake company "Anan Chemical Ltd", and Rashedul in collusion with PK Halder and others took Tk 70.82 crore as loan and laundered the money.