ACC sues SK Sinha, 10 others

The Anti-Corruption Commission has initiated a lawsuit against 11 people, including former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, for a loan scam from Farmers Bank and laundering Tk 40 million.

ACC Director Syed Iqbal as plaintiff filed the case with the anti-graft watchdog’s headquarters at the capital's Segun Bagicha on Wednesday, reports bdnews24.com.

The other accused are – KM Shamim, former managing director of Farmers Bank, renamed Padma Bank, former SEVP Gazi Salauddin, first vice president Swapon Kumar Ray, senior vice president Md Ziauddin Ahmed, first vice president Shafiuddin Askary, vice president Md Lutful Haque, Tangail residents Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, Ranjit Chandra Saha and his wife Shanti Ray.

In October 2018, ACC Chairman revealed the commission found ‘evidence’ of fraud involving transactions of Tk 40 million borrowed by two so-called businessmen, Shahjahan and Niranjan, from Farmers Bank.

The ACC later launched an investigation over allegations that the fund was deposited in Sinha’s bank account, credited as the proceeds of the sale of his house.

Sinha left the country on leave in October 2017 after the verdict on the 16th amendment to the constitution. Later, he submitted his resignation from overseas.

After his resignation, the Supreme Court said in a rare statement that Sinha had been facing 11 specific charges, including corruption, money laundering, financial irregularities and moral blunder.

Sinha would have retired on Jan 31, 2018, but he resigned 81 days before the end of his term.

He was the first Bangladeshi chief justice to resign the post.

The government has appealed for a review of the verdict cancelling the 16th constitutional amendment, which allows the MPs to remove any top judge on grounds of incompetency or misconduct.