HC orders to probe money laundering allegations against Biopharma

The High Court today directed the authorities concerned to probe the money laundering and embezzlement allegations against Biopharma Limited, a pharmaceutical company.

The chairmen of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and National Board of Revenue (NBR) have been ordered to conduct inquiries into the allegations and to submit their reports to the HC in two months.

The court also issued a rule asking the respondents why their inaction and failure to take action against the persons involved in the money laundering and embezzlement in the name of Biopharma Limited should not be declared illegal and why they should not be ordered to take appropriate action against those persons.

Seventeen persons including secretaries concerned at the ministries of health and finance; chairmen of ACC and NBR; and the head of Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit have been made respondents to the rule.

The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by two shareholders—Md Morshed Uddin Akand and Zahangir Alam -- seeking necessary directives.

The court fixed July 30 for further hearing on the issue.

The petitioners submitted the petition to the HC based on a report published under the headline "Deshe Deshe Pachar Hoy Biopharma Taka (Biopharma's money is being laundered to different countries) on Bangla daily Kalbela on April 18 this year.

The report stated different allegations against Biopharma officials of embezzling and laundering public money to different countries through opening 12 fake organisations.

Senior lawyer Abdus Salam Mamun appeared for the writ petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Saifuddin Khaled and lawyer Shahin Ahmed represented the state and ACC respectively.