Court hears testimony of three more witnesses in Tk25cr embezzlement case against Saifuzzaman, others

Three more witnesses testified in a case filed against
former land minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury and 35 others for allegedly
embezzling a Tk25 crore loan from United Commercial Bank (UCB) by using
fictitious companies and laundering the money.
The statements were recorded
yesterday (20 May) before Judge Mizanur Rahman at the Chattogram Divisional
Special Judge's Court.
With the latest hearing, testimony
from a total of 21 witnesses has now been completed in the case.
In accordance with court procedure, defence lawyers cross-examined them. The
case involves a list of 92 witnesses, and the court is continuing to hear
testimony in phases.
The court has set 23 June for the
next witness hearing, confirmed ACC Public Prosecutor Mokarram Hossain.
According to the case statement,
the accused violated banking rules to approve a loan in favour of a shell
company, creating scope for embezzlement and laundering of funds.
Formal trial proceedings began on
11 March, when the court framed charges against the 36 accused, including the
former minister. As per the charge sheet, the loan amount was taken between
October 2019 and February 2020 and later laundered abroad through hundi.
The case was filed on 24 July last year by the ACC in Chattogram, and the
charge sheet was submitted to the court on 5 January this year following the
completion of the investigation.















