ACC sues Keya Group chair, family over illegal wealth of Tk 183 crore

The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed five cases against Keya Cosmetics chairman Abdul Khaleque Pathan and his family members over accumulated illegal wealth worth Tk 183.84 crore.

Assistant director of ACC Md. Shafiullah on Tuesday formally lodged these cases against the family members cum owners under anti-money laundering act.

The accused are- Abdul Khaleque Pathan, his wife Khadiza Pathan, who is the managing director of the company, his son Masum Pathan, daughter Firoza Parvin and Tansin Keya. Three children were indicted in the cases as they are holding the position of directors of the group of companies.

ACC secretary Muhammad Anwar Hussain Hawlader said, “All the accused have accumulated illegal wealth of Tk 183.84 crore while the value of their assets is more than Tk 96.29 crore, which was not even declared in their income tax returns.”

As the ACC had earlier asked the owners of Keya Cosmetics to submit their assets statement in June 2019, the investigation officers of ACC have unearthed the huge illegal money and assets belonging to them, he explained.

Keya Cosmetics has submitted a financial and wealth statement worth Tk 446.88 crore to the ACC.

Earlier, on August 20, 2017, Keya Group owner Abdul Khaleque Pathan was arrested by ACC on charges of embezzling Tk 110 crore, taken as loans from Bangladesh Krishi Bank. The loan was taken for its concern Keya Yarn Mills Ltd, of which Khaleque is managing director.

Keya Yarn chairman Khaleda Pervin, directors Masum Pathan and Tansin Keya, and four former bank officials were also accused in the case.

The former bankers accused in the case are-Md Satwar Hossain, a former assistant general manager of the bank at its Karwan Bazar branch, Md Zubair Manzur, a former deputy general manager and branch manager, and former senior principal officers Md Abdul Hossain and Golam Rasul. The Keya Yarn factory at Gazipur’s Konabari supplies yarn to the ready-made garment factories.

The embezzlement of the credit took place over a year from July, 2010.