ACC readies 5 cases against Salman F. Rahman over Janata Bank

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday approved five separate cases against former Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Adviser and Beximco Group Chairman Salman F Rahman, his brother, and top officials of Janata Bank over allegations of laundering nearly Tk 20 billion through fraudulent import-export transactions linked to Letters of Credit (LCs).

The cases were approved at the ACC headquarters, confirmed ACC Director General Md Akhter Hossain.

He said the five approved cases accuse 34 individuals of embezzling and laundering a total of Tk 19.40 billion.

According to the ACC investigation report, the accused embezzled and siphoned off a huge amount of money from the local office of Janata Bank PLC. The misappropriated funds include:

In total, they allegedly embezzled USD 21,552,801, equivalent to Tk 19.40 billion, through these five cases.

The accused include from Beximco Group are- Salman F Rahman (Chairman), his brother ASF Rahman (Vice Chairman), his two sons Ahmed Shayan Fazlur Rahman and Ahmed Shahriar Rahman, Director Iqbal Ahmed, Managing Director Osman Kaiser Chowdhury (O.K. Chowdhury), and Directors A.B. Siddiqur Rahman, Masud Ikramullah Khan, Shah Manzurul Haque, and Reem H. Shamsuddoha.

Other company officials are Anwarul Bashar (MD, Skynet Apparels Ltd), Nasrin Ahmed (Director, Skynet), Abu Nayeem Mahmud Salehin (MD, Crescent Accessories), Md Mostafizur Rahman Tanvir (Director, Crescent Accessories), Mohammad Alif Ibne Zulfiqar (MD, Platinum Garments), Mst. Nusrat Haider (Director, Platinum), Wasiur Rahman (MD, Pearl Garments), Rizia Akhter (Director, Pearl Garments), Salauddin Khan Mojlish (MD, New Dhaka Industries), Abdur Rouf (Director, New Dhaka Industries), Mahfuzur Rahman Khan (MD, Kanchpur Apparels), and Syed Tanbir Elahi Afendi (Director, Kanchpur Apparels).

Former Managing Directors Abduch Salam Azad and Abdul Jabbar, former General Managers Mizanur Rahman and Md Shahidul Haque, retired Deputy General Manager Md Abdur Rahim, retired DGM (Export) Md Momtazul Islam, Senior Officer Rafiqul Islam, Manager Md Saleh Ahmed, retired Assistant General Managers Md Moazzem Hossain and Mohammad Shahjahan, retired AGM (Export) Md Humayun Kabir Dhali, and Principal Officer S.M. Mahatab Hossain Badsha from Janata Bank.

The cases have been approved under sections 409, 420, 467, 468, 471, and 109 of the Penal Code, along with section 5(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947.