Staff Reporter :
The Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) has said in a report that the authorities of the controversial e-commerce platform Evaly Limited have withdrawn billions of taka in cash from the accounts of the company despite being an e-commerce based organization which cannot be considered as normal.
The Evaly authorities have transferred money from one account to another without any rational reason, also read the report submitted in the High Court on Thursday.
The organization has repaid the loan taken in the name of the Chairman of the company and in the name of chairman’s another organization with the money deposited by the customers for the purchase of the product, also read the report.
The Evaly authorities have sent money to another
institution in the name of fund transfer and despite not having the need they had completed the transactions by opening multiple accounts in the Konabari area of Gazipur district.
The company did abnormal transactions in the agent banking branches, according to the report.
A total of Tk 3898 crore has been transacted so far through 36 accounts of Evaly Limited. Of this, about Tk 1956 crore has been deposited and about Tk 1942 billion has been withdrawn from the accounts. As of August 30 in 2020 the balance of the accounts is about Tk 2.13 crore.
Md Ikramul Hasan, a Joint Director of Bangladesh Financial Intelligent Unit, sent the report to the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman complying with its earlier order.
Senior Advocate Shamim Khaled Ahmed submitted the report in the court on behalf of the BFIU.
The BFIU has already traced total 81 accounts of the Evaly in different banks and financial organizations and asked the reporting organizations concerned to freeze those accounts.
Evaly Chairman Shamima Nasrin and CEO Mohammad Rassel received loan worth Tk 55.83 crore from different banks and financial institutions through 18 accounts till August in 2020. But the loans were repaid within a shortest time.
Following three separate writ petitions, the HC bench on September 28 wanted to know from the National Board of Revenue (NBR) whether it has any policy to collect vat and tax from the e-commerce entities in the country.
It also wanted to know from Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) as to what steps they have been taken already over the alleged money laundering by the e-commerce platforms.
The court also wanted to know about the action plans and updated steps of the 16-member ‘technical committee’ that was formed to create a congenial environment for the scandal-hit digital commerce sector.
The respondents, NBR, Bangladesh Bank and the Commerce Ministry, were asked to comply with the court query by November 8 this year. Complying with the court queries the organizations have sent separate reports to the court. The court, however, adjourned the hearing till February 28 in 2022.
Lawyers Mohammad Shishir Manir and Pallob Kabir M Humaun appeared in the court on behalf of the writ petitioners, while Shamim Khaled Ahmed appeared for the BFIU, Tapas Kanti Baul for the Commerce Ministry and Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar for the state.
Mohammad Shishir Manir filed a petition on September 23 on behalf of 33 consumers of the ecommerce platform ‘e-orange.shop’.
Two other Supreme Court lawyers Md Anwarul Islam and Barrister Pallob Kabir M Humaun filed two other writ petitions as public interest litigations seeking some other directions over the e-commerce scams.
The High Court bench on September 28 held a joint hearing on the three writ petitions and asked the respondents to submit their statements over the court queries.
