The High Court once again on Tuesday severely censured the Anti-Corruption Commission for its failure to complete investigation into any of the 61 cases filed seven years ago over misappropriation of more than Tk 4,000 crore from different branches of the state-owned BASIC Bank.
The court also asked the ACC to report by November 21 on the progress in investigations into the cases.
The bench of justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and justice Khizir Hayat expressed deep disappointment over lack of progress in the BASIC Bank scam probe during the hearing of a rule issued earlier asking the ACC to explain why Mohammad Ali, former general manager of the bank’s Shantinagar branch in the capital, wouldn’t be granted bail in three cases.
The court granted Mohammad Ali bail in four of the seven cases against him on the grounds that he had been in jail since December 18 without trial.
Mohammad Ali was accused in seven cases filed with the Paltan police on September 23, 2015 over misappropriation of more than Tk 362 crore from the bank’s Shantinagar branch.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan sought time to report to the court on update of the cases that remain pending for long.
The court observed that the cases relating to embazzlement and money laundering should be tried summarily to ensure punishment as money launderers are enemies of the nation.
It…
