Money Laundering: ACC presses charges against Bacchu, his wife

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday pressed charges against former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu, his wife Shirin Aktar and six others over money laundering.

The charge sheet was submitted in a case filed over corruption and irregularities in the purchase of 30.25 katha of land in the capital's Cantonment Bazar area, under two land deeds, from Amin Ahmed, managing director of Capital Banani One Ltd, an ACC source told The Daily Star.

ACC Deputy Director Mohammad Nurul Huda filed the case with its integrated district office of Dhaka-1 on October 2 last year.

With this, the graft watchdog has so far submitted 60 charge sheets against Bacchu over alleged corruption.

In the case statement, the plaintiff said Bacchu bought the 30.25 katha land for Tk 110 crore, but the two deeds showed the property value to be Tk 15.25 crore.

Bacchu later transferred the land to his wife Shirin and sons Sheikh Rafa Hai and Sheikh Sabid Hye Anik. Sheikh Shahriar Panna, the owner of BM Computers and Crown Properties, and Amin Ahmed assisted the attempt to legitimise the transfer the property, the complainant added.

The graft watchdog on Sunday approved the filing of the charge sheet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act as per the recommendation of the ACC Assistant Director Huda and the investigation officer of the case, Mohammad Neyamul Ahsan Gazi.

Bacchu had been at the helm of the state-run BASIC Bank from October 4, 2009 to July 5, 2014.