ACC grills 4 BB officials over PK Halder scam

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) interrogated four Bangladesh Bank officials over scandals involving former NRB Global Bank managing director Prashant Kumar Halder alias PK Halder.

An investigating team, led by ACC Deputy Director and Investigation Officer Gulshan Anwar, conducted the interrogation at the head office of the commission on Monday morning.

Earlier, the ACC filed the case on 8 January 2020 against PK Halder for allegedly acquiring illegal assets worth around Tk275 crore.

PK Halder, who has been absconding, acquired illegal assets worth around Tk426 crore in various illegal ways in his name and under various real and fake companies and individuals, according to the chargesheet.

To conceal the location of his illegal assets, PK Halder transacted money through 178 bank accounts. He deposited Tk6,080 crore in these accounts and withdrew Tk6,076 crore from them in his name and anonymously.

The charge sheet further states PK Halder, in collusion with the other accused, laundered 11.7 million Canadian dollars to Canada from Bangladesh through Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and India.

According to the ACC, PK Halder has swindled at least Tk11,000 crore from various organisations.

Sources at the ACC said the amount of swindled money they so far learned about during investigating the case may increase further.

PK Halder has embezzled around Tk3,500 crore from ILFSL, Tk2,200 crore from FAS Finance, Tk2,500 crore from Reliance Finance and Tk3,000 crore from People's Leasing. There is almost no mortgage against all these loans, so the chances of recovering the loans are slim, said the ACC.

After investigations, the ACC has already filed several cases.