Hallmark scam
None of the members of the Board of Directors of Sonali Bank has been accused in the Hallmark -Sonali Bank loan scam investigation report, officials said. However, many of them were alleged to have been involved in obtaining loan for Tanvir Mahmud, managing director of the Hallmark Group. The ACC investigation team on Thursday submitted its reports on 11 cases filed in connection with embezzlement of Tk 2,686 crore from the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel Branch of Sonali Bank by Hallmark Group.
The probe body led by deputy director Mir Joynul Abdin Shibly submitted the report to the Anti-Corruption Commission’s director general Ziauddin Ahmed.
The seven-member ACC team submitted the report after carrying out investigation into the cases for 11 months.
Commissioner (Investigation) Shahabudidn Chuppu told The Independent that following necessary scrutiny, the report would be submitted to him on Sunday.
“After submission of the report, the commission will review it and after the approval of the commission charge sheet will be submitted against the accused persons,” he added.
Asked about the dropping of some influential persons from the list of the accused, he parried the question saying that “I’m yet to read the report and don’t want to make any comment before that.”
Meanwhile, ACC sources alleged that some powerful people were trying to take out some people from the charge sheets in the cases.
They said some influential political quarters were creating pressure on the commission to drop the names of those people.
An investigation official, however, denied the allegation. They said that the commission would follow the legal system to submit the charge sheets.
During the investigation, the probe team interrogated at least 40 incumbent and former Sonali bank officials and about 10 other people, officials said.
According to the ACC Act 2004, the investigation officer in a case can submit charge sheet after approval of the commission.
Sources said in his confessional statement under 164 of CrPC Hallmark MD Tanvir Mahmud said that some members of Board of Directors have taken bribes from him for providing loan.
The enquiry team of the ACC quizzed chairman of Board of Directors Kazi Baharul Islam, directors—Jannat Ara Henry, Subhash Singh Roy, Saimum Sarwar Kamol, Md Shahidullah Miah, Md Anwar Shahid, ASM Naim, KM Zaman Romel, Kashem Humayun, Sattendra Chandra Bhokta and Prodip Kumar Datta.
The team also quizzed Prime Minister’s Adviser for Health Dr Syed Moddaser Ali in this connection.
On October 4 last year, the ACC officials filed 11 cases against seven Hallmark Group bosses and 20 Sonali Bank officials for swindling about Tk 1,568.39 crore out of about Tk 2,686 crore embezzled from the Sonali Bank’s Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch.
The seven accused officials of the Hallmark Group are managing director Tanvir Mahmud, his wife Jesmin Islam, also chairman of the group, its general manager Tushar Ahmed, its sister concern Anwar Spinning Mills managing director Zahangir Alam, Century International Limited managing director Ziaur Rahman, Max Spinning Mills managing director Mir Zakaria and Apparel Enterprise managing director Shahidul Islam.
The accused Sonali Bank officials include former managing director Humayun Kabir, former deputy managing directors Mainul Haque and Atiqur Rahman, general managers ANM Masrurul Huda Siraji, Sabita Suraj, Noni Gopal Nath and Mir Mohidur Rahman, former deputy general manager Shaikh Altaf Hussain, suspended deputy general managers Bhagabati Majumder, Safizuddin Ahamed, deputy general manager Kaniz Fatema and Ruposhi Bangla hotel branch former assistant general manager AKM Azizur Rahman, suspended assistant general manager Saiful Hasan, suspended executive officer Abdul Matin, senior executive officer Mehrunnisa Meri and former senior executive officer Wahiduzzaman.
The investigation report recommended filing charge sheet before the court against 22 persons out of the 27 accused.
According to ACC sources, those dropped from the accused list are: general manager of Sonali Bank ANM Masrurul Huda Siraji, former assistant GM Ashraf Ali Patwari, senior officer (Retd) Md Wahiduzzaman, former GM Sabita Siraj, DGM Bhagaboti Majumder and AGM Khurshid Alam.
-With The Independent input
