Court Correspondent :
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) was allowed three days’ remand of businessman Proshanta Kumar Halder’s personal lawyer Sukumar Mridha and his daughter Anindita Mridha in a case filed about illegal wealth acquisition and money laundering.
Senior Special Judge KM Imrul Kayesh of Dhaka passed the order on Thursday, hearing on the ACC’s petition seeking permission to grill Sukumar and Anindita.Deputy Director Md Salauddin questioned the two accused at the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Segunbagicha before arresting them. Salauddin, the case’s Investigation Officer, later on Thursday, took them to the court after noon.
According to the remand petition, Sukumar and Anindita acquired assets by using aliases in collusion with Proshanta alias PK Halder who is on the run abroad.
Sukumar and Anindita need to be taken into remand for interrogation because the investigation revealed that they made attempts to flee the country, the ACC said in the petition.
Lawyer Mahmud Hossain Jahangir argued for the ACC.
Earlier, ACC Secretary Md Anwar Hossain Hawlader said Sukumar and Anindita watched over PK Halder’s illegal assets after he had fled abroad. Sukumar also looked after several organisations linked to PK Halder’s interest, Anwar said.
PK Halder deposited around Tk 1 billion, illegally earned by showing fake loans in different accounts of his mother Lilaboti Halder, according to Anwar.
Later the money was transferred to PK Halder through Sukumar, Anindita and Abantika Baral, another associate of Halder, in attempts of money laundering, the ACC secretary said.
Anwar said the ACC has information about around Tk 200 million in Sukumar’s name while another Tk 15 million in Anindita’s name. These were all portions of PK Halder’s illegally obtained money, he said.
Responding to a reporter’s question, Sukumar claimed he was innocent and said, “I am not involved in any of the incidents relating to PK Halder that are being reported in the media. He is just my client.”
Abantika was placed on remand after her arrest on Jan 13. It followed the apprehension of Shankha Bepari on Jan 4, who was found to own a lavish apartment bought with Proshanta’s money in Dhanmondi area.
Proshanta is a former Managing Director of the International Leasing and Financial Services Limited or ILFSL and NRB Global Bank. He is accused of embezzling funds and purchasing large shares while taking control of four financial institutions, in which he placed his close associates in pivotal positions of power.
