The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday interrogated six officials of One Bank Limited in connection with the alleged embezzlement of nearly Tk 1,300 crore by Ananda Shipyard. An ACC team, led by its deputy director and inquiry officer Zainul Abedin Shebly, questioned them for about three hours from 10 am at the Commission’s head office, ACC public relations officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya told UNB.
The One Bank officials grilled on Tuesday were officer-in-charge of Motijheel branch Mujtaba M Kajmi, principal officer Khaled Al Fesani, senior vice president Asif Mahmud Khan, senior principal officer Engr Mahbub Hasan, principal officer M Anisuzzaman and officer Abu Shahadat M Shahed.
On Monday, the ACC also questioned five One Bank officials-deputy managing director Johura Bibi, vice president M Abu Saleh, senior executive vice president Rozina Aleya Ahmed, senior executive vice president Altaf Uddin Khan and principal officer Jamil Hossain.
In April 2014, the ACC launched a probe into the allegation of swindling nearly Tk 1,300 crore from 14 commercial banks and financial institutions by Ananda Shipyard, a manufacturer and exporter of ships.
According to the graft allegation, Ananda Shipyard took loans of Tk 1,300 crore showing fake documents. The banks disbursed the loans violating banking rules when Ananda Shipyard had no experience of building ships.
The Bangladesh Bank in its inspections also found such irregularities in disbursing loans by the banks and financial institutions.
According to the central bank report, Ananda Shipyard took loans of Tk 456.34 crore from IBBL; about Tk 187 crore from AB Bank Limited; Tk 221.2 crore from Mercantile Bank; Tk 114.21 crore from One Bank; Tk 238 crore from Janata Bank; Tk 24 crore from Bangladesh Development Bank; and Tk 15.14 crore from NCC Bank.
It also took loans of Tk 1.93 crore from Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company (BIFCL); Tk 23.18 crore from Finix Finance & Development Limited; Tk 11.75 crore from Fareast Finance & Development Limited; Tk 3.72 crore from IDLC; Tk 2.92 crore from Housing Finance & Investment Limited; Tk 3.92 crore from Haj Finance Company Limited; and Tk 3 crore from Premier Leasing & Finance Limited.
