Eleven witnesses have so far testified in the case filed against S Alam Group Chairman Mohammad Saiful Alam, known as S Alam, former Reliance Finance Limited Managing Director PK Halder and 11 others over alleged fraud and embezzlement of Tk34 crore loan.
On Sunday, Assistant Vice President of First Islami Security Bank PLC Asadul Azad gave his deposition before the court of Dhaka Special Judge Court-5 Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun.
Following his testimony, lawyer Niaz Morshed, representing accused Rashedul Haque, who is currently in jail, completed the cross-examination.
Meanwhile, lawyer Mohammad Babul Bepari, representing accused Nahida Runai, sought time from the court for cross-examination.
The court granted the time petition and fixed 9 August for the remaining cross-examination and recording the testimony of the investigation officer.
Court sources said that 10 witnesses had already testified in the case before Sunday’s proceedings.
The investigation officer will be the final witness, after which the witness examination phase will conclude.
The same court on 19 January framed charges against S Alam, PK Halder and 11 others and ordered the trial to begin.
The other accused include S Alam Group Vice Chairman Abdus Samad, directors Mohammad Abdullah Hasan and Shahana Ferdous, former Reliance Finance officials (now Aviva Finance Ltd) Rashedul Haque, Nahida Runai, Kazi Ahmed Jamal and Jumaratul Banna, and former officials of Marine Vegetables Oils – Zahir Ahmed, Tipu Sultan, Md Ishaq and Md Abdullah Al Mamun.
Among the accused, Nahida Runai and Rashedul Haque are in jail, while the others remain absconding.
The court has issued arrest warrants against them.
The recording of witness testimony in the case began on 23 February, when Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Deputy Director Tahasin Munabil Haque, also the complainant in the case, gave his statement.
Later, five witnesses testified on 22 June and four others on 8 July. So far, 11 of the 15 witnesses listed in the charge sheet have given testimony.
According to the case statement, the accused allegedly approved a Tk34 crore term loan in the name of a fictitious company, AM Trading, on 8 August, 2013, and disbursed the loan on 9 September, 2013, through mutual collusion.
The money was later transferred to S Alam Super Edible Oil Ltd, according to the allegations.
The ACC filed the case on 2 July last year following an investigation by ACC Deputy Director Tahasin Munabil Haque. A chargesheet was submitted against 13 accused on 16 October.
