ACC charge 9 including 5 ex-NSU trustees: TK 3 bn laundered

Money in Bangladeshi Taka

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has pressed charges against nine people, including five former members of the Board of Trustees of North South University for laundering about Tk 304 crore.

The five former trustees are- Azim Uddin Ahmed, Chairman of Mutual Group of Companies; Benajir Ahmed, Managing Director and CEO of Raymond Group of Industries; MA Kashem, Chairman of Mutual Group of Industries; Rehana Rahman, Managing Director (MD) of Bengal Trade Ways Limited, Mohammed Shajahan, MD of Shah Fatehullah Textile Mills Limited. Of them, Kashem, Benajir, Rehana and Mohammed Shajahan were arrested following an order of the High Court on May 22. On the day, the apex court rejected their anticipatory bail petitions and ordered Shahbagh Police Station to arrest them immediately and to produce them in the trial court in 24 hours in connection with the case.

Other four accused are- Ashaloy Housing and Developers MD Amin Md Hilaly, its Chairman Omar Faruk and Directors Anwara Begum and Syed AK Haque. Five other accused were shown 'fugitives' in the charge sheet as they were not granted get bail from any court, an official of the ACC at Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court said.

ACC Deputy Director Farid Ahmed Patwary, and also the Investigation Officer of the case, on Thursday (November 10) submitted the charge sheet to the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court of Dhaka.

The IO appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants against the fugitives as they have been absconding since the case was filed.

The charge sheet will be placed in the court on November 30 for next course of action. - Special Correspondent