ACC summons 7 accomplices of PK Haldar

Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday summoned seven associates of former managing director of NRB Global Bank Prashanta Kumar Haldar alias PK Haldar in the aftermath of his financial scams.

According to ACC sources, they have been asked to appear before the ACC probe team between January 11 and 13 as part of the ongoing probe into the Tk 3,500 crore money-laundering allegations against PK Haldar.

The following individuals were served the ACC notice: Matiur Rahman, former chairman of People's Leasing and Financial Services Limited; Arefin Samsul Alamin, its former director; Nowsher-ul-Islam and Mamtaj Begum, owners of Nature Enterprise and MTB Marine Limited; Sanjib Kumar Hawladar and Basudeb Benarjee, owners of MTB Marine Ltd; and Papia Benarjee, owner of Nature Enterprise.

According to ACC, while he was the MD of Reliance Finance, PK Haldar made his relatives the independent directors of several other leasing companies.  He then used various means to embezzle money from these companies, including People's Leasing.

Following the embezzlement, PK Haldar, also former ILFSL director, fled the country.

According to the ACC investigation, Haldar and his accomplices misappropriated around Tk11,000 crore. Of the institutions, they embezzled Tk3,500 crore from ILFSL, Tk2,200 crore from FAS Finance, Tk2,500 crore from Reliance Finance, and around Tk3,000 crore from People's Leasing.

The ACC investigation also revealed that PK Haldar has siphoned Tk1,000 crore to Canada, Singapore and India.

On January 8, the ACC filed a case against him over amassing Tk275 crore in illegal wealth. Investigation into that charge is currently ongoing.

A Dhaka court subsequently ordered seizure of two Dhanmandi flats and around six acres of land belonging to PK Haldar.

As he has not returned home despite being authorized by the court, the ACC has sought the support of Interpol to arrest and return absconding fugitive PK Haldar.