Sonali Bank management will file criminal cases in a day or two against some of its officials and Hallmark Group managing director and chairman in connection with swindling of more than Tk 3,606 crore from the bank, a top official of the bank told New Age on Tuesday.
‘We have already made the first information report to file the cases against the alleged officials and Hallmark Group’s managing director Tanvir Mahmud and
its chairman Jesmin Chowdhury,’ said the official.
He said that they had moved to file the case after the finance ministry on Monday directed the bank to take legal steps, but Sonali Bank managing director Pradip Kumar Dutta was abroad till Tuesday.
‘The MD would join office on Wednesday after returning from an official tour in London,’ he said, adding that the management would finalise the FIR after discussion with the MD.
Another official of Sonali Bank said they had consulted with legal experts on Tuesday regarding filing the criminal cases against accused persons.
He, however, could not confirm how many Sonali Bank officials would be accused in the case and whether the former managing director Humayun Kabir would be indicted.
Sonali Bank and the ministry of finance have already initiated departmental action against 31 banks officials, including its two deputy managing directors.
An investigation by the Bangladesh Bank revealed that Sonali Bank’s Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch had lent Hallmark Group and five other companies Tk 3,606.48 crore between 2010 and May this year on fake documents.
The businesses swindled the entire amount that belongs to depositors, in collusion with some corrupt bank officials.
Courtesy of New Age
