ACC to question ex-Farmers Bank MD over graft charges against Justice Sinha

The Anti-Corruption Commission will quiz former Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shameem and five other officials of the bank as part of its investigations into the allegation that Tk 40 million was deposited in former chief justice SK Sinha’s account.

ACC Director Syed Iqbal Hossain on Tuesday sent notices to the six people asking them to appear before the commission at its headquarters in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The five others are the private bank’s Vice President Md Lutful Hoque, First Vice President Swapan Kumar Roy, Senior Executive Vice President Gazi Salahuddin, Assistant Vice President Shafiuddin Ashkari Ahmed and Executive Officer Umme Salma Sultana.

The ACC on May 6 questioned two businessmen – Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha – over the alleged bribery of Tk 40 million borrowed from Farmers Bank and later sent to an “important” person’s bank account through a pay order.

The ACC documents do not bear the name of the “important” person’, but the media has reported that the account belonged to Justice Sinha. The businessmen’s lawyer also named Justice Sinha as the recipient of the money.

Justice Sinha had faced criticism from the ruling Awami League over the verdict of the 16th amendment to the constitution and left the country on leave in October last year. Later, he submitted his resignation from abroad.

After he left, the Supreme Court had mentioned ‘11 specific complaints’ against him in a statement that included accusations of corruption, money laundering, financial irregularity and moral lapse.

However, the ACC had previously not taken measures to investigate such sensitive complaints against an “important” person of the state.

“We will investigate any corruption allegation no matter whoever has allegedly committed it,” ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmud had told the media.

Commission officials said Shahjahan and Niranjan took Tk 20 million in loans each from the Gulshan branch of scandal-hit Farmers Bank in 2016 and transferred the amount to the ‘important’ person’s account on Nov 16 of the same year.

The ACC decided to investigate the issue after examining written complaints it had received, the officials said.

Justice Sinha recently made headlines by accusing the government in a book of exiling him after he had resigned in the face of intimidation and threats.

Law Minister Anisul Huq brushed aside the accusations as ‘new stories made up on false claims’.

He said on Sunday whether a case should be started against Justice Sinha depended on the ACC and the government would not interfere in the commission’s work.

ACC chief Iqbal on Monday said he was embarrassed to answer questions from the media regarding allegations of corruption against Justice Sinha.

“The honourable minister can say what he likes. His words will not lead to a case, nor an investigation.

“The minister’s words will not influence the ACC. I can guarantee it. No investigation will be launched against someone without proper evidence,” the ACC chairman said.

The law ministry on Tuesday issued a statement in protest against the ACC chief’s reaction to the minister’s comments, clarifying that Anisul spoke about the commission’s independence, but his comments did not aim to influence its work.