Special Correspondent :
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday sought a ban on foreign travel of 17 individuals for their alleged involvement in Farmers Bank loan scam.
The Commission sent a formal letter to the Home Ministry requesting it to place their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).
Officials confirmed that ACC wrote names of Farmers Bank’s former Audit Committee Chairman Mahabubul Haque Chisty (Babul Chisty), his wife Rosy Chisty, their sons Rashedul Haque Chisty, Majedul Haque Chisty, daughter Rimi Chisty and daughter-in-law Farhana Ahmed Chisty, bank’s former Managing Director AKM Shamim and ten senior officials of the bank.
The Commission, however, did not impose travel ban on former chairman of Farmers Bank Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir.
“The Commission sent letters to immigration of all the airports and land ports and other authorities concerned through the Home Ministry to place the names of 17 individuals on the ECL list to prevent them from leaving the country,” Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, Public Relations Officer of the Commission, told The New Nation in the evening.
He said ACC sought a ban on their foreign travel in the interest of the investigation of Farmers Bank loan fraud involving over Tk 1,500 crore.
“It is feared that they would leave the country,” he added.
The country’s anti-graft watchdog has already formed a three-member investigation team led by its Director Syed Iqbal Hossain.
Officials said the ACC investigators have already obtained the documents relating to processing and sanctioning of loans provided by the bank to various business firms and persons breaching credit norms.
They said the cases would be prepared in light of evidence collected during the investigation.
“ACC will soon summon the 17 individuals for questioning over their involvement in the bank’s loan scandal, embezzlement of crores of Taka through shady lending practices and corruption in administering the bank,” an ACC official told The New Nation.
