A Dhaka court has ordered the freezing of 21 bank accounts belonging to three associates of former NRB Global Bank and Reliance Finance Limited Managing Director Prashanta Kumar (PK) Halder.
The associates, Md. Siddiqur Rahman, Mahfuza Rahman Baby, and Anita Kar, allegedly played key roles in financial fraud and money laundering.
Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judge Md. Zakir Hossain Galib issued the order on Sunday (March 16) following a petition by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), filed by Deputy Assistant Director Sabrina Zaman.
The frozen accounts include 11 under Md. Siddiqur Rahman, four under Mahfuza Rahman Baby and six under Anita Kar.
According to ACC petition, PK Halder, along with his associate Swapan Kumar Mistri and 20 others, misused their authority to facilitate fraudulent loans without proper verification or mortgage requirements.
They reportedly assisted Swapan Kumar Mistri, proprietor of the shell company Sandeep Corporation, in securing fake loans. Beneficiaries withdrew Tk 400 million from FAS Finance and Investment Ltd. and laundered the funds through multiple layers of transactions, concealing their origins.
Following these allegations, a case was filed on March 3, 2022, against PK Halder, Swapan Kumar Mistri, and 20 others.
ACC revealed that Md Siddiqur Rahman, Mahfuza Rahman Baby and Anita Kar had obtained loans in the names of fictitious companies and attempted to siphon off the funds.
Intelligence reports suggest that these associates were trying to withdraw money from various banks and flee the country.
PK Halder is currently under custody in India.
Authorities believe his associates might attempt to access funds to facilitate their escape.
The court’s order aims to prevent further financial transactions linked to the fraudulent activities.
ACC continues its investigation into the matter as efforts to recover the embezzled funds and bring those responsible to justice are underway.
MAL/SH
