Customs official has arrested MA Kader, chairman of Crescent Group after separate cases were filed against the firm under Money Laundering Act for siphoning off foreign currency equivalent to nearly Tk 9.2 billion abroad.
“The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate filed three separate cases against three Crescent Group’s subsidiaries with the Chokbazar police,” National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said on Wednesday (Jan 30).
Speaking to media at the NBR’s Segunbagicha offices, Bhuiyan said, “Out of the 17 accused, four are from the Crescent Group while 13 others are the officials of Janata Bank Limited.
“One of the key accused of the cases, MA Kader, chairman of Crescent Leather Products and Crescent Tanneries, was arrested by the Customs officials from the city’s Kakrail,” he added.
The three other accused of the Crescent Group are managing director of Crescent Tanneries Sultana Begum, Rimex Footwear Chairman Abdul Aziz and Managing Director Litun Jahan Mira.
Abdul Aziz, a brother of MA Kader, is known for his film production house Jaaz Multimedia.
The NBR chief informed that the Crescent Group chairman would be produced in the court on Thursday (Jan 30) seeking remand.
“Besides, steps have already been taken to ban the accused from travelling abroad,” Bhuiyan said.
Out of the three sued Crescent Group firms, Crescent Leather Products has allegedly laundered Tk 4.22 billion abroad through export bills of Janata Bank Ltd followed by Tk 4.81 billion by Rimex Footwear and Tk 158.4 million by Crescent Tanneries Limited.
Reiterating the government’s ‘zero tolerance’ stance against corruption, the NBR Chairman said that they are in a strong position against money laundering, drugs and any kind of smuggling.