ACC approves charges against ex-chief justice Sinha

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has approved charges against former chief justice SK Sinha in a case that involves Tk 40 million in suspicious loans from The Farmers Bank.

The case names 10 others: KM Shamim, former managing director of Farmers Bank, renamed Padma Bank, its former senior executive vice president Gazi Salauddin, first vice president Swapon Kumar Ray, senior vice president Ziauddin Ahmed, first vice president Shafiuddin Askary, vice president Lutful Haque, Tangail residents Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, Ranajit Chandra Saha and his wife Shanti Ray.

The commission found ‘evidence’ of fraud involving transactions of Tk 40 million borrowed by two so-called businessmen, Shahjahan and Niranjan, from the bank, ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmood said in October 2018.

The national anti-graft agency later launched an investigation into allegations that the fund was deposited into Sinha’s bank account, credited as the proceeds of the sale of his house.

Sinha came under fire from the ruling Awami League over the verdict on the 16th amendment to the constitution and went on leave in October 2017.

Later, he became the first chief justice of the country to quit when he submitted his resignation from overseas, 81 days before the end of his term.

After his resignation, the Supreme Court said in a rare statement that Sinha had been facing 11 specific charges, including corruption, money laundering, financial irregularities and moral blunders, reports bdnews24.com.