ACC okays chargesheet against 5 ex-NSU trustees, 4 others

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday approved a chargesheet against nine people including five former members of the board of trustees of North-South University (NSU) for laundering around Tk304 crore.

ACC Secretary Mahbub Hossain said the investigation officer of the case and director of ACC's investigation and inquiry cell will submit the chargesheet before the court.

The accused are – NSU trustee board Chairman Azim Uddin Ahmed, members Benajir Ahmed, MA Kashem, Rehana Rahman, Mohammed Shajahan, Ashaloy Housing and Developers managing director Amin Md Hilaly, its chairman Omar Faruk and directors Anwara Begum and Syed AK Haque.

On 5 May, the ACC filed the case against the NSU trustees and others on charges of embezzling money in the name of buying land for the campus and money laundering.

According to the Private University Act, 2010, the board of trustees is the highest governing body of a private university like North South University. As per the Memorandum of Association and Articles (Rules and Regulations) of the university, the university is a charitable, welfare oriented, non-commercial and non-profit educational institution.

The case stated that over 9,088 decimal land was bought in the name of campus development of NSU through the consent of some members of the board of trustees bypassing the approval of the university syndicate, the University Grants Commission, and the Ministry of Education.

They later withdrew cash from the buyer through cheques in their own names and kept FDR in their own names. Later, they themselves embezzled the FDR money.

They unjustly benefitted themselves by committing illegal activities, criminal misconduct through misuse of power and embezzling university and government funds, according to the case statement.

In carrying out such illegal activities, they have committed a punishable offence by resorting to fraud and forgery and exchanging commissions.