DHAKA: A Dhaka court on Wednesday issued arrest warrant against 17 fugitives of 11 cases filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against 27 high officials of Sonali Bank and Hall-Mark Group for misappropriating Tk 1,568 crore.

Senior Special Judge of Dhaka M Zahurul Haque passed the order against the accused fugitives taking the charges into cognizance and fixed November 27 to submit reports related to the arrest warrant.

Of the 25 accused, seven locked up are Hallmark MD M Tanvir Mahmud, General Manager Tusar Ahmed, Manager of Ruposhi Bangla branch of Sonali Bank AKM Azizur Rahman (temporarily discharged), General Manager of Sonali Bank Mir Mohidur Rahman (temporarily discharged), Deputy General Managers Sheikh Altaf Hossain and M Sofizuddin (temporarily discharged).

ACC submitted thousands of documents related to the case to the court.

On October 4 in 2012, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed 11 cases against 27 senior officials of the Sonali Bank and Hall-Mark Group for misappropriating Tk 1,568 crore.

Earlier, little-known Hall-Mark Group and five other companies embezzled Tk 3,547 crore from state-run Sonali Bank with the help of bank’s high-ups.

A central bank probe body found that Sonali Bank high-ups, including a deputy managing director, a general manager and the branch manager, were directly involved in the scam.

Of Tk 3,547 crore, Hallmark Group alone took away Tk 2,686.14 crore, T and Brothers Tk 609.69 crore, Paragon Group Tk 146.60 crore, Nakshi Knit Tk 66.36 crore, DN Sports Tk 33.25 crore and Khanjahan Ali Tk 4.96 crore.
Of the six borrowers, Hallmark has been found to be the biggest fraudster.

A 7-member special team of ACC, led by its deputy director M Zoynul Abedin investigated the matter.

BDST: 1925 HRS, NOV 13, 2013
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