No charges framed in bank scam cases for years

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has not submitted charge-sheet in much-talked-about state-owned Basic Bank loan scam case for about three and half years, said the commission sources.

"The investigation of the ACC is a long process. It takes time to complete the process. We have not shifted from our position and no corrupt element will be spared," ACC commissioner Mozammel Haque Khan told Prothom Alo.

The suspects in Janata Bank loan forgery remain untouched, ACC insiders admitted, and said the ACC has taken a go-slow policy about the loan forgery of state-owned Farmers Bank.

The anti-graft body has not investigated the incident of cyber heist of the money from the Bangladesh Bank.

TIB executive director Ifthekharuzzaman told Prothom Alo that the corrupt persons should be punished irrespective of political identities and social status.

"If the incidents of corruption are not properly investigated and the corrupt are not brought to book, the social menace will not be addressed," he said.

According to the findings of Centre for Policy Dialogue, the loan forgery in the past 10 years involved more than Tk 227 billion.

In 2015-16, the ACC filed 61 cases in connection with loan forgery of Tk 40 billion of Basic Bank. Despite the elapsing of 40 months, the ACC has not submitted the charge-sheet. None of the governing board members has been made accused.

The ACC carried out investigation in connection with loan scam of Janata Bank. In 2012, the ACC charged directors of Bismilllah Group for loan forgery. But all of them are staying abroad. The bankers, who disbursed the loan, are also out of touch.

An ACC official said a section of bank officials have complicity with the loan scam.

The state-owned Janata Bank is also plagued by a loan scam of Tk 50 billion by Annontex Group and Tk 40 billion by Crescent Group.

The ACC has filed a number of cases in connection with the loan forgery of Farmers Bank.

Mahbubul Haque Chisti, former chairman of the audit committee of the bank, several bankers and businessmen were made accused in the cases.

However, former chairman of the bank and former home minister Mahiuddin Khan Alamgir was not made accused.

* This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam