E-commerce marketplaces E-Orange, Orange Bangladesh and Red Orange have transacted Tk 22.21 billion through 13 accounts from January 2019 to September 2021, said a report of the Bangladesh Financial Intelligent Unit (BFIU).
According to the report findings, Sonia Mahjabin and her husband Md Masukur Rahman, owners of E-Orange, had a total of 24 bank accounts, and they transacted Tk 1.2 billion through these accounts occasionally.
Complying with an earlier order, the BFIU submitted the report to the High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat on Wednesday.
The business addresses of the three companies are mentioned in the bank account documents in the same manner, mentioned the report.
In the review of transactions completed by E-Orange.shop and Orange Bangladesh, it was found that payment gateway SOFTWARE SHOP LTD (SSL Commerce) has paid approximately Tk 9.0 billion to E-Orange.shop against a total of 0.3 million order IDs, and a total of Tk 6.59 million against 661 order IDs refunded to the customers.
Although SSL Commerce paid Tk 9.0 billion to E-Orange against 0.3 million orders, it could not be confirmed whether the company delivered the products of the order to the customers or consumers. At present SOFTWARE SHOP LTD has about Tk 346.2 million in outstanding status as ESCROW paid by customers of E-Orange against a total of 10,187 order IDs.
All the information related to E-Orange transactions in banks and financial institutions has been provided to the CID on June 23 this year for the purpose of investigation, also read the report.
Following a writ petition the High Court on April 7 this year directed the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for conducting a probe into the allegations of money laundering against the owners of the controversial ecommerce platform E-Orange.
The BFIU and ACC had also been ordered to submit a report after inquiring into the money laundering allegations before the HC in four months.
On behalf of 547 defrauded consumers, Afjal Hossain, Arafat Ali, Tarequl Alam, Sakibul Islam Shohag, Rana Khan and Habibullah Zahid filed the petition on April 3 this year. Complying with the HC order the BFIU submitted the report.
