HC concerned over slow progress in PK Halder’s case

The High Court on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the slow progress of a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) against ILFSL Director Prashanta Kumar Halder for embezzlement of nearly Tk3,500 crore.

“It is very unfortunate that the trial court is yet to issue an arrest warrant against PK Halder despite the lapse of more than two months of filing petition seeking arrest warrant against him for embezzling nearly Tk3,500 crore,” the High Court bench comprising Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel came up with the observation while hearing a suo moto rule issued earlier in this regard.

“No one can escape from justice if he or she is involved in corruption. Those who were involved in corruption and money laundering must be brought to justice,” the bench further said, fixing December 9 as the next date of hearing on the matter.

It also asked the ACC to submit a copy of its petition filed before the lower court praying to issue an arrest warrant against PK Halder.

The bench also asked the ACC to submit the main copy of the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the commission against the accused over the money laundering case while performing his duties as the director of International Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (ILFSL).

Deputy Attorney General Advocate AKM Aminuddin Manik stood for the state while ACC lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC during the court proceedings.

Earlier on November 19, the same bench of the High Court directed the authorities concerned to inform it within 10 days about the steps taken to arrest the ILFSL director and bring him back to the country.

The court asked the home and foreign secretaries, chairman of the ACC and others concerned to notify it of their steps in writing.

On a suo moto move, the HC bench came up with the order after taking a media report into cognizance.

“Is it a lawless country that the accused will live abroad as a fugitive with the allegation of siphoning off around Tk3,500 crore?” the court asked.

It further said that PK Halder should be brought back from abroad and brought to book.

Earlier, the director of ILFSL was scheduled to return to Bangladesh on October 25, but did not do so as the High Court had ordered his arrest.