Hall-Mark loan scam: Tanvir and Jasmine face verdict on Mar 19

It is one of the 11 cases filed against Hall-Mark Group owners and executives and several officials of Sonali Bank for embezzling Tk 40 billion

A Dhaka court has set Mar 19 for the verdict in the loan embezzlement case involving the Hall-Mark Group after hearing the testimony of two additional witnesses and completing the arguments of both sides.

Dhaka Special Judge’s Court-1 Judge Abul Kashem fixed the date for the verdict in the Anti-Corruption Commission’s case against Hall-Mark’s Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, his wife and company chair Jasmine Islam, and 18 other individuals on Tuesday.

Earlier, on Jan 28, the judge had set the date for the verdict on Feb 28. But ACC lawyer Mir Ahmed Ali Salam then petitioned for the testimonies of the two magistrates who took confessional statements to be presented to the court. The petition was granted by the judge.

On Mar 4, Saifur Rahman and Keshab Roy Chowdhury, who had served as metropolitan magistrates a decade ago, appeared in court to testify. They had recorded the confessional statements of three of the suspects at the time.

Following their testimony, the court set a date for Mar 12 to hear the response from the defence.

As many as 11 cases were filed against Hall-Mark Group owners, executives and several Sonali Bank officials for embezzling Tk 40 billion from the bank a decade ago. This case is one of the 11 cases filed against them.

Of the 19 defendants in the case, Hall-Mark’s Managing Director Tanvir Mahmud, his wife and company chair Jasmine Islam, General Manager Tushar Ahmed, Sonali Bank’s Head Office GM Mir Mohidur Rahman, Deputy General Manager DGM Md Sofiz Uddin Ahmed, DMD Mainul Haque, AGM Md Kamrul Hossain Khan and MD of Nakshi Net Md Abdul Malek are in prison.

Two deputy general managers, DGM Sheikh Altaf Hossain and Chairman of Hemayetpur’s Tetuljhora Union Parishad Jamal Uddin Sarker, are out on bail.

Meanwhile, Paragon Group MD Saiful Islam Raja, Sonali Bank Head Office GM Noni Gopal Nath, former Managing Director Humayun Kabir, Assistant Deputy General Manager Md Saiful Hasan, Executive Officer Adul Matin, Max Spinning Mills owner Mir Zakaria, T & Brothers Director Taslim Hasan, Sonali Bank DMD Md Atiqur Rahman and current senior executive officer of Sonali Bank’s Dhanmondi Branch Meherunnesa Mary are absconding.

On Oct 4, 2012, the ACC filed a case against Max Spinning Mills at the capital’s Ramna Police Station alleging the company had embezzled Tk 105 million out of a loan of Tk 5.26 billion.

On Mar 27, 2016, the court ordered the transfer of the accused to the Special Judge Court-1 of Dhaka for trial after the ACC filed charges.

Verdicts had previously been delivered over the Hall-Mark loan scam in several cases, but neither Tanvir nor Jasmine was accused in those cases.