ACC to act against Falu, two others for ‘non-cooperation’ in money laundering probe

The Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC is initiating legal action against BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s former adviser Mosaddak Ali Falu and two businesspeople for ‘non-cooperation’ in an investigation into alleged money laundering.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 Sept 2018, 08:57 PM
Updated : 6 Sept 2018, 11:20 PM

The other two facing the ACC action are Shaylin Zaman Akbar, director, RAK Paints Limited, and Protima Sarkar, director, Star Ceramics Limited, according to the commission’s spokesman Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya.

The commission is moving against the three because they had not showed up in response to two letters asking for their statements on the charges, Pranab told bdnews24.com on Thursday.

“The commission is not sending any letter, but taking legal action against them,” he said.

The ACC spokesman, however, did not say what action they will initiate against the trio.

The agency on Aug 3 slapped a travel ban on Falu and eight other businesspeople, including BNP leader SAK Ekramuzzaman, on charges that they had siphoned off $8 million made through irregularities to Dubai.

It called 11 people, including Falu, Ekramuzzaman, Shaylin and Protima, on Aug 5 and 6 for questioning.

Seven of them faced the questioning. They are RAK Paints Chairman Ekramuzzaman, his son and the company’s Managing Director Qamar Uz Zaman, RAK Consumer Products Limited directors Mohd Amir Hossain and MA Malek; Syed AK Anwaruzzaman, director, Julphar Bangladesh Limited and Rakeen Development Company Limited; Maksudul Karim, director, RAK Power; and Faheemul Huq, independent director, RAK Ceramics.

ACC Director Syed Iqbal Hossain sent a letter on Thursday to Falu’s nephew and Roza Properties CEO Nayeem Uddin Ahmed and Director Ashfaque Uddin Ahmed, asking them to appear before the commission for questioning on Sept 12 as part of the same investigation.

Falu, Ekramuzzaman and seven others are accused of smuggling out $8 million to the United Arab Emirates by opening an offshore company and through hundi, an illegal way of sending money abroad.

They earned the money allegedly through irregularities, corruption, and dupery, according to the ACC.

Falu had been the political secretary to BNP chief Khaleda when she was prime minister during the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami government. He was also elected MP in a by-election.

Later Khaleda made him a member of her Advisory Council.

Falu resigned from the BNP after he was made a vice-chairman of the party in 2016.

Currently inactive in politics, he is busy with his businesses ranging from securities, housing, agriculture to export-import.

The ACC had prosecuted the chairman and managing director of NTV that he owns on different charges earlier.