Bangladesh initiates move to arrest PK Halder thru Interpol

The Anti-Corruption Commission has taken an initiative to issue arrest warrant through the International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly known as Interpol, against former NRB Global Bank managing director Proshanta Kumar Halder.

The commission has initiated the move to issue the arrest warrant against PK Halder, who allegedly embezzled over Tk 10,000 crore from different financial entities and left the country, through the National Counter Bureau of Interpol in Dhaka, ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told New Age on Monday.

The move has been taken after the High Court on November 19 asked the government and the ACC to explain in 10 days what steps were taken to bring PK Halder back to the country from abroad, an ACC official said.

The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Ahmed Sohel issued the directive suo motu, taking cognisance of a newspaper report on ACC moves on bringing PK Halder back.

The court asked the ACC chairman, home secretary and deputy commissioner of Dhaka to submit reports on December 2 on the progress in bringing PK Halder back to the country.

The court also asked the ACC to submit a report on the progress of investigation into the case against PK Halder.

ACC lawyer Khurshid said that he would submit the report to the court within the scheduled time.

PK Halder is wanted in a corruption case filed by the ACC in January on charge of money laundering and amassing wealth worth Tk 274.91 crore beyond his known sources of income.

He has allegedly embezzled over Tk 10,000 crore by taking loans from different financial institutions in the name of companies owned by him and his family members.

Earlier on October 24, PK Halder informed the office of the attorney general and the ACC that he would not be able to return to the country on October 25 as scheduled as he had developed COVID-19 symptoms.

PK Halder made the U-turn two days after the High Court on October 21 had asked the inspector general of the police and the ACC to arrest him immediately on his arrival at the Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka from Dubai and ensure his presence at the lower court where he is wanted in the corruption case.

It asked the police to produce PK Halder before the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court in connection with the case filed against him by the ACC on January 8.

On September 7, the bench directed the International Leasing and Financial Services Limited to communicate with PK Halder through e-mail or SMS to know his flight schedule of arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after he had expressed his ‘desire’ to return to the country.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net