The High Court on Wednesday asked the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) to submit a report by January 03 next year detailing progress in investigation into complaints of money laundering against Proshanta Kumar Halder, known as PK Halder.
The court also wanted to know the steps taken to arrest and bring the alleged swindler, Halder, back to the country.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel passed the order with some observations while holding hearing on a suo moto (voluntary move) rule.
The court further questioned the inaction of the authorities concerned in arresting PK Halder and bringing him back to the country.
PK Halder and some of his cohorts allegedly swindled billions of Taka from a number of banks and financial institutions and fled the country some months back.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the High Court observed that only commemorating ‘International Anti-Corruption Day’ will not be enough to combatcorruption.
Zero tolerance must be effective and enforced in order to prevent corruption and irregularities, the court said.
The court, in the meantime, allowed PK Halder's former colleague Uzzal Kumar Nondi and his cousin Amitav Adhikari to submit their statements in connection with the allegations against them of abetting PK Halder in embezzling huge sums of public money to this court by January 03.
The HC bench took into cognizance their petitions seeking permission to become party to the case to record their statements.
Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin, who represented the state, opposed the applications from Uzzal Kumar Nondi and Amitav Adhikari, saying that they have submitted the applications with a view to hampering the investigation and saving PK Halder.
The court set January 03 next for holding further hearing and passing an order on this issue.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told the HC bench that the Senior Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka had on November 25 issued warrant to arrest PK Halder following an application from the ACC. The court has also sent the order of arrest warrant to the Interpol through the home ministry to arrest him.
The lawyer added that the authorities concerned have confiscated 53 bank accounts and unmovable properties worth Tk 430 million of PK Halder.
Lawyers Mosharraf Hossain and Shah Monjurul Hoque appeared for Uzzal Kumar Nondi and Amitav Adhikari respectively.
Issuing the suo moto rule, the HC bench on November 19 wanted to know what steps have been taken to bring back Proshanta Kumar Halder to the country and to arrest him.
International Leasing and Financial Services Limited (ILFSL), a non-bank financial institution, informed the High Court on October 21 this year that PK Halder would come back to the country on October 25 this year, but he did not.
