For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed another case against former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, his wife and other family members for embezzling Tk 250 million by fraudulently giving loans to family members of United Commercial Bank (UCBL) officials posing as businessman.
On Thursday, ACC Assistant Director Md Shoaib Ibne Alam filed the case at the Chattogram District Office.
In the past two weeks, the ACC has filed three cases in Chattogram against Javed, his relatives, and UCBL Bank officials, bdnews24.com reports.
At least 24 people, including Javed, his wife and former UCBL Bank chairman Rukmila Zaman, 46, sister Roksana Zaman Chowdhury, 56, Afroza Zaman Chowdhury and UCBL Bank officials, have been named in the case.
Earlier, on July 24 and July 31, the ACC filed two cases alleging the embezzlement of Tk 400 million.
Subel Ahmed, deputy director of the ACC Chattogram office, confirmed the case to bdnews24.com.
The case was filed under Sections 406/409/420/467/468/471/109 of the Penal Code 1860, Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, and Section 4(2)(3) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2012.
The case dossier says that a current account was opened at the Jubilee Road branch of UCBL in Chattogram under the name of Syed Nurul Islam, cousin of Aramit Group Chief Operating Officer and company Secretary Syed Kamruzzaman of Aramit Group, a company owned by former land minister Javed. He was logged as the owner of “Crescent Traders” on October 10, 2019.
On February 4, 2020, a fake application for a loan of Tk 250 million for “working capital” was made in the name of the organisation.
Bank officials submitted a “satisfactory” report based on false information about the loan applicant's identity, stock, experience, etc, recommending a loan of Tk 250 million and sending it to the bank's corporate banking division.
The case document further states that the credit committee of the head office, consisting of officials from UCBL’s Corporate Banking Division and Credit Risk Management Division, had raised 17 negative observations regarding the loan.
Despite the negative reactions, the board of directors approved the loan in a meeting on February 16 of that year without any scrutiny under the “influence” of Javed.