Staff Reporter :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is conducting an inquiry into an allegation that Robi, third largest mobile SIM card Operation Company in our country, plundered several hundred crore of taka through illegal voice over internal protocol (VoIP) business and tax evasion.
It also laundered a big amount of money abroad.
A number of dishonest officials of Bangladesh Telecommunications
Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and Telecommunications Ministry are reportedly linked with the corruption, according to the complint.
Telecom Malaysia International and Bangladshi AK Khan and Company jointly launched the SIM card operation company Aktel in 1997. The company was renamed Robi on March 28 in 2010 after Axiata Group Berhad, a Malaysia based company, and NTT DOCOMO INC, a Japan based company, purchased all shares.
Axiata is the owner of 92 percent shares and DOCOMO bought eight percent of shares.
However, the Axiata opened four more organisations, including e.co Bangladesh Ltd, a passive network infrastructure operator in Bangladesh, under the network of Robi.
The income from the E.co has been siphoned off aboard, the complaint states.
The Robi evaded tax in the name of SIM replacement. From March 2007 to June 2011, Robi sold over 52,000 SIM cards in the name of SIM replacement and evaded tax for Tk 654.99 crore.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) conducted an investigation and sent letter to the company several times asking to pay unpaid tax. But the company did not comply with it.
The Robi invested a lot of money in different sectors but did not elaborate it in its annual statement to the Investment Board.
It committed illegal VoIP business through call centre provider Genex Infosys Ltd. Robi evaded tax by other means also.
In response to a question, former Posts and Telecommunication Minister Abdul Latif Siddique in the National Parliament in the first session of 10th Parliament said that the Robi had an unpaid tax to the government amounting to Tk 219.10 crore as on June 2012.
