Tk110cr money laundering: Le Méridien owner Amin Ahmad sent to jail
A Dhaka court today (10 July) sent Le Méridien Dhaka owner Amin Ahmad to jail in connection with a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over a Tk110 crore money laundering.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad As-Shams Jaglul Hossain issued the order against Amin after he surrendered before the court earlier today complying with a Supreme Court order issued on 30 June.
Amin had applied for bail in the case but the lower court refused his plea.
Advocate Ehsanul Haque Samaji represented Amin in the court.
Former BASIC Bank chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu and his wife Shirin Akhtar are also accused in the case.
Earlier on 26 May, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) approved the charge sheet in a case against Sheikh Abdul Hye Bacchu, former chairman of BASIC Bank, his family members and Amin Ahmed on charges of embezzlement and money laundering amounting to approximately Tk95 crore.
Later the investigation officer of ACC submitted the chargesheet in the Court.
The ACC’s investigation revealed that on 8 July 2012, Bacchu made an agreement with Amin to purchase a 30.25 katha plot in the Cantonment Bazaar area. Despite the land’s actual value being Tk110 crore, Bacchu paid only Tk10 crore at the time of signing the deed or contract.
According to the ACC, Bacchu attempted to conceal his illegal earnings by undervaluing the land by Tk94.75 crore in the registration, thus evading over Tk8.52 lakhs in tax.
This is the first chargesheet against Bacchu for illegally acquiring assets.
The case was filed on 3 October 2023, by Nurul Huda, deputy director of the ACC’s Dhaka district office.
Other defendants in the case include Bacchu’s wife Shirin Akhter, his brother Sheikh Shahriar Panna, his sons Sheikh Rafa Hye and Sheikh Sabit Hye Anik, and the owner of Hotel Le Méridien, Amin Ahmed.
Previously, in June 2023, the ACC filed chargesheets in court against Bacchu and 147 others in 59 loan scam cases filed nearly eight years ago, involving the embezzlement of Tk2,266 crore from BASIC Bank.
The ACC investigation found that Bacchu, along with various business owners and numerous officials, abused their power by taking loans from the bank against fake, overvalued, or non-existent collateral. The accused embezzled approximately Tk2266.68 crore from BASIC Bank under the guise of loans.
The accused include Bacchu, company secretary of the bank Shah Alam Bhuiyan, and 46 other bank officials, along with 101 borrowers. Bacchu and Shah Alam were involved in 58 of the 59 cases.
