ACC grills 7 bankers over Ananda Shipyard loan scam

The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday interrogated seven officials of Mercantile Bank Limited in connection with the alleged embezzlement of nearly Tk 1,300 crore by Ananda Shipyard.

An ACC team, led by its deputy director and inquiry officer, Zainul Abedin Shebly, started questioning the Mercantile Bank officials at 10:00am and continued till 4:30pm at the ACC head office, ACC public relations officer, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, told UNB.

The Mercantile Bank officials grilled today (Monday) were assistant vice president, Ashish Kumar Laskar, executive vice president, Shoaib Ahmed, assistant vice president. Faisal Ahsan Chowdhury, first vice president, AKM Anwarul Islam, senior executive vice president, Mohammad Ismail, manager of Engineers Institute Branch Mahmud Alam Chowdhury, and its officer, Mahruf Kamal.

In April 2014, the ACC initiated a probe into the allegation of swindling of about Tk 1,300 crore from 14 commercial banks and financial institutions by Ananda Shipyard, a manufacturer and exporter of ships.

According to the graft allegation, Ananda Shipyard took loans of Tk 1,300 crore from 14 commercial banks and financial institutions showing fake documents. The banks disbursed the loans violating banking rules when Ananda Shipyard had no experience of building ships.

The Bangladesh Bank in its inspections also found such irregularities in disbursing loans by the banks and financial institutions.

According to the central bank report, Ananda Shipyard took loans of Tk 456.34 crore from IBBL, about Tk 187 crore from Arab-Bangladesh Bank Limited, Tk 221.2 crore from Mercantile Bank, Tk 114.21 crore from One Bank, Tk 238 crore from Janata Bank, Tk 24 crore from Bangladesh Development Bank, and Tk 15.14 crore from NCC Bank.

Ananda Shipyard also took loans of Tk 1.93 crore from Bangladesh Industrial Finance Company (BIFCL), Tk 23.18 crore from Finix Finance and Development Limited, Tk 11.75 crore from Fareast Finance and Development Limited, Tk 3.72 crore from IDLC, Tk 2.92 crore from Housing Finance and Investment Limited, Tk 3.92 crore from Haj Finance Company Limited, and Tk 3 crore from Premier Leasing & Finance Limited.