Court bars Evaly chairman, MD from travelling abroad amid ACC probe

A Dhaka court has barred Mohammad Rassel, the managing director of Evaly, and his wife Shamima Nasrin, also the chairman of the company, from travelling overseas amid an ongoing probe into charges of embezzlement against the e-commerce platform.

Dhaka's Senior Special Judge KM Imrul Kayes issued the order in response to a petition by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Thursday.

Previously, on Jul 8, the ACC said it had sought a travel ban on top Evaly officials as it investigated allegations the company had embezzled over Tk 3.38 billion in advance payments from customers and had not paid merchants.

“The ACC took action when it learned they could flee abroad," said ACC Prosecutor Mahmud Hossain Jahangir after the court order.

“But at the time, the court with jurisdiction over the matter was closed. But a court of competent jurisdiction heard the matter and issued the travel ban on Thursday.”

After news of the graft watchdog’s travel ban was published, Evaly MD Rassel wrote on Facebook that he saw the matter ‘positively’.

Evaly’s offices have been closed for several days after the government and the ACC took action. Customers say no one is answering the company’s hotlines.

ACC Deputy Director Mamunur Rashid Chowdhury and Deputy Assistant Director Muhammad Shihab Salam were tasked with investigating Evaly.

The national anti-graft agency had previously looked into the company’s activities.

But a “specific” complaint from the Ministry of Commerce on Jul 4 led to the current investigation.

The commerce ministry attached to the written complaint a seven-page report by the Bangladesh Bank that found that Evaly’s net asset was worth around Tk 917 million and the firm’s liabilities were over Tk 4.07 billion on Mar 14.

It took Tk 2.13 billion in advance from the clients and around Tk 1.9 billion worth of products from the merchants.

So, its current assets should have been at least Tk 4.03 billion, but the central bank found Evaly’s assets were only worth Tk 651.7 million.

With its current assets, the company can supply products to or refund or pay only 16.14 percent of its customers and merchants, according to the report.

Moreover, the Bangladesh Bank could not trace Tk 3.38 billion, which includes advance and products taken by Evaly from the customers and the merchants.

“It appears that the Tk 3.38 billion was possibly embezzled or transferred illegally somewhere else.”

The commerce ministry asked the ACC to take legal action against Evaly if financial irregularities are found in the investigation.