ACC to look into anomalies of 3 banks

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has started collecting information over loan related irregularities in three private banks of the country.

The banks are Islamic Bank Bangladesh, Social Islamic Bank and First Security Islamic Bank, said ACC secretary Md Mahbub Hossain on Thursday while talking to journalists at the commission’s Segunbagicha headquarters in the capital.

Earlier in the day, five lawyers sent a letter to ACC and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) requesting to investigate whether money has been laundered by S Alam Group after taking Tk 30,000 crore loan from Islami Bank

About the letter, ACC secretary said they have not received the letter yet, but reading the news from various media outlets, they have started collecting information and data to start a probe.

Once the information is collected, further inquiry will be started by the ACC as per the decision of the commission.

Recently, several media have published reports about the irregularities of the banks over loans. There were irregularities in providing around Tk 9,500 crore loans from those three banks, according to media reports.

Out of the loans, Tk7,246 crore were provided by the Islami Bank alone while rest of the amount from Social Islami and First Security Islami Bank. Several companies have taken loans using fake addresses.

About the High Court order to complete investigation of Basic bank related graft cases within three months, Mahbub Hossain said officials have been directed to complete the enquiry in 56 cases of BASIC Bank within the stipulated time.

He said, “Many issues are related to each of the 56 cases of Basic Bank. A lot of data has to be collected. That is why it takes time. We have asked our officials to follow the instruction of the High court.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the High Court directed the ACC to complete the enquiry of the cases filed over the much-talked about Basic Bank loan scam.

The court also warned that appropriate legal action will be taken against the ACC if it fails to submit the report to the court concerned in three months.

An HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu passed the order after dismissing a bail petition of BASIC Bank’s official Mohammad Ali, an accused in three cases.