Loan scam cases: HC asks 2 businesspersons to surrender before trial court

The High Court today directed two businesspersons to surrender before trial court in two separate cases filed over loan scams in Basic Bank and Sonali Bank.

In connection with a case filed over BASIC Bank’s loan scam involving Tk 7.85 crore, the HC directed a businessman named Md Saiful Islam to surrender before the trial court in two weeks.  

The HC also cancelled its earlier order that granted ad-interim bail to Saiful, the managing director of M/S Iskol Food and Beverage Ltd, in the case.

The bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice KM Hafizul Alam passed the order after hearing a petition filed by Saiful seeking bail in the case.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case with Bangshal Police Station on December 7, 2017, against Saiful and two others of M/S Iskol Food and Beverage Ltd on charge of misappropriating Tk 7.85 crore from BASIC Bank.

The HC on May 15 last year granted ad-interim bail to Saiful after he submitted a petition seeking bail and issued a rule asking the ACC and government to show cause why Saiful should not be granted regular bail in the case, Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik told The Daily Star.

Saiful is now on the run, he added.

Meanwhile, the HC bench today scrapped a lower court order that exempted another businessman from a Sonali Bank’s loan scam case involving Tk 22.49 crore.

The bench also directed Abdur Rashid, chairman of M/S Seema Knitwear and Dying Private Ltd in Narayanganj, to surrender to the trial court in two weeks in the case, DAG Manik said.

Besides, the same HC bench today refused to order the ACC to return the passport of Md Saiful Haque, an accused in a case filed for misappropriating Tk 165 core from AB bank.

The HC also asked the investigation officer (IO) of the ACC to submit the passport of Saiful Haque to the trial court as a seized passport and to submit the charge sheet of the case to the trial court as early as possible, ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star.

He said the HC passed the order after rejecting a petition filed by Saiful for an order so that he can get his passport back.

The ACC lawyer said the commission filed the case against Saiful and seven others with Motijheel Police Station on January 25 last year for misappropriating Tk 165 core from AB bank.

Then, the IO seized the passport of Saiful, he said, adding that Saiful is now on bail in the case.