The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is interrogating Regent Hospital Chairman Shahed Karim Md Shahed for the third consecutive day over embezzlement of Tk 2.71 crore of Farmers Bank Ltd (now Padma Bank Ltd) under the veil of loan to buy MRI machine for his hospital.
Shahed is being interrogated by ACC Deputy Assistant Director Mohammad Shahjahan Miraj at the ACC headquarters since 10am on Wednesday.
ACC Public Relations Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya confirmed the information to The Business Post.
On July 27, ACC filed a case against Shahed, Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, former audit committee chairman of Farmers Bank and two others in connection with embezzlement of the money from Farmers Bank.
The two other accused are-- Mahbubul's son Rashedul Haque Chisty and Md Ibrahim Khalil, a managing director of Regent Hospital, who is currently on the run.
The first information report (FIR) filed against Shahed and Mahbubul revealed that Tk 35 lakh was exchanged from Farmers Bank under the guise of loan for buying MRI machine for Regent Hospital.
According to the FIR, Shahed opened an account in the name of Regent Hospital with Padma Bank's Gulshan corporate branch on January 11, 2015 and applied for a loan of Tk 2 crore from the bank to buy an MRI machine worth Tk 3.5 crore placing a Tk 1 crore FDR (fixed deposit receipt) as collateral. The loan application was hurriedly sent to the bank's headquarters the next day without proper verification.
On January 13, the bank's executive committee led by Mahbubul Haque Chisty approved the loan in favour of Shahed.
A pay order of Tk 2 crore was issued to a supplier of MRI machines on January 19 but the money was withdrawn from Shahjalal Islami Bank's Uttara Mahila branch on January 21 without purchasing MRI machine, ACC investigation finds.
Just prior to the sanction of the money, Shahed deposited Tk 35 lakh in the account of Bakshiganj Jute Spinners Ltd with Padma Bank's Bakshiganj branch on January 17, 2015, which was withdrawn by Rashedul Haque Chisty.
Mahbubul, his wife Rosy Chisty, daughter Rimi Chisty and son Rashedul are the owners of Bakshiganj Jute Spinners.
sh/sik
