The Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday interrogated former private industry and investment adviser to ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Beximco Group vice-chairman Salman F Rahman over the alleged embezzlement and laundering of Tk136,67,58,931 from Janata Bank.
Rahman was produced at the ACC headquarters from jail on the first day of a four-day remand granted by a court. An interrogation team led by ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Joynal Abedin and Assistant Director Al Amin questioned him in connection with a case filed on 8 January against Rahman and 21 others.
Among the accused are Rahman’s brother A S F Rahman, his son Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman and his nephew Ahmed Shahriar Rahman, along with several Beximco Group directors including Iqbal Ahmed, A B Siddiqur Rahman, Masood Ekramullah Khan, Shah Manjurul Haque Reem, H Shamsuddoha and Md Osman Kaiser Chowdhury.
Former Janata Bank officials named in the case include former chief executive officer Abdus Salam, former managing director Abdul Jabbar and former general manager Mizanur Rahman.
Other accused bank officials are a former deputy general manager also named Mizanur Rahman, Md Moazzem Hossain, Shahjahan, Md Humayun Kabir Dhali and S M Mahtab Hossain.
The ACC has also charged Cozy Apparels Ltd officials Md Mahfuzur Rahman Khan and Syed Tanveer Elahi, as well as Crescent Accessories Ltd officials Abu Naim Mahmud and Md Mostafizur Rahman.
According to the case statements, the accused abused their authority and colluded to approve and disburse various loans, including Export Development Fund facilities, to Cozy Apparels Ltd.
Investigators alleged that fraudulent import-export transactions were staged through letters of credit to generate accommodation bills used to siphon off funds.
The ACC said Cozy Apparels Ltd was a newly formed entity at the time and its directors had no prior business experience.
The accused face charges under Sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, 477(3) and 109 of the Penal Code, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947, and Section 4 of the Money Laundering Prevention Act, 2012, as amended in 2015.
