Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday said that former managing director of NRB Global Bank, Prashant Kumar Halder alias PK Halder managed to launder 3,600 crore taka by the help of his 62 cohorts.
ACC secretary Dr M Anwar Hossen Halder made the remark during an interaction with the journalists at the ACC headquarter.
He said the information of 62 cohorts of PK Halder came to light during the ongoing investigation into his money laundering and illegal wealth.
“We froze around 1,060 crore taka of PK Halder's money kept in different banks,” said ACC secretary.
ACC on Wednesday arrested Abantika Boral, an alleged girlfriend of PK Halder who is under ACC scrutiny for her alleged involvement of facilitating PK Halder in embezzlement and money laundering from different financial institutions.
Abantika Boral was placed in three days ACC remand for interrogation. She was arrested by an ACC team led by deputy director Md Salauddin from Dhanmondhi area of the capital.
Director Public relations of ACC Pranab Kumar Bhattachariya on Wednesday told The Business Post, ACC earlier summoned her to be present at the ACC headquarter on December 28. But she didn't comply with the request without even citing any personal reason, which is a punishable crime.
“ACC believes Abantika Boral is one of the cohorts of PK Halder who helped him embezzle money and also financially benefitted by maintaining close relationship with the PK Halder,” said Pranab Kumar Bhattachariya.
ACC lawyer in December 2020 told the media that PK Halder had 70 to 80 girlfriends who assisted him to hide the swindled money and Abantika Boral is believed one of them.
Within the controversy, PK Halder, who is currently leading a lavish life in Canada, expressed his willingness to return to Bangladesh and promised to return all the money to the depositors but retracted from his stance amid the court ruling to arrest him as soon as he lands at the airport and to be produced before the court.
ACC on January 2020 filed a case against PK Halder over the allegations of acquiring illegal wealth worth 274.91 crore taka earned through misappropriating money from different financial institutions.
ACC investigation so far revealed that PK Halder acquired massive amounts of wealth in home and abroad which could be as much as 10,000 crore taka.
ACC sought help from Interpol to bring back PK Halder to the country to face justice.
sh/zn
