HC moved for probe into Hallmark scam

Three Supreme Court lawyers move the court seeking an order for judicial probe into the loan scam

bdnews24.com
Published : 11 Sept 2012, 03:19 AM
Updated : 11 Sept 2012, 03:19 AM
Dhaka, Sep 11 (bdnews24.com)—The High Court was moved on Tuesday seeking an order to hold a judicial probe into the Hallmark loan scam involving the Sonali Bank.
A day after three Supreme Court lawyers filed a petition seeking the order, lawyer Belal Hossain Joy produced the case before the bench of Justices Hasan Faez Siddiqui and Mostafa Zaman.
Later Hossain told benews24.com that overburdened with cases chances were slim that the case would be heard on Tuesday. He said the case would be produced before another bench once the vacation the court is going into is over.
After the vacation activities at the High Court will resume on Sep 30.
In the petition, lawyers KM Zabir, Awlad Hossain and Mahmud Hossain also requested the court for instructions on issues including the Finance Ministry's control on the Banking Division, and responsibilities and liabilities of the Bangladesh Bank.
The petition also sought direction with regards to reforming the country's finance and banking system for coping with such incidents taking place in future.
The Banking Division Secretary, Bangladesh Bank's Governor, Sonali Bank's Chairman and its Managing Director were made respondents to the petition.
Petitioners also sought a ruling over why action should not be taken against people involved with the scam, which is violation of Article 31 of the Constitution and the Right to Information law for the failure to control and maintain state-owned and private banks and endangering people's investment.
Giving a background, the petitioners referred to the central bank report that revealed the scandal involving misappropriation of about Tk 36 billion from the Sonali Bank. The Hallmark Group siphoned off over Tk 26 billion alone.
Joy said the petition was filed over the report published in a newspaper alleging a scandal of Tk 100 billion in the banking sector.
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