The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a High Court order that had directed to freeze bank accounts and seize passports of 20 including former managing director of NRB Global Bank Prashant Kumar Halder alias PK Halder over allegations of embezzling funds of International Leasing and Finance Service Limited, reports BSS.
A four-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order, dismissing an appeal filed by International Leasing and Finance Service Limited against the January 21 High Court order. Attorney general Mahbubey Alam today appeared from the state, while Barrister Tanjib ul Alam stood for Bangladesh Bank. Advocate Ahsanul Karim moved the appeal for International Leasing and Finance Service Limited.
The High Court on January 21 had ordered to freeze bank accounts and seize passports of 20 including PK Halder. The court also appointed former central bank deputy governor Khondker Ibrahim Khaled as the independent director and chairman of International Leasing and Finance Service Limited to run the company.
A High Court division bench of Justice Muhammad Khurshid Alam Sarkar passed the order after holding hearing on a writ filed by two stock market investors, pleading to get back their investments. The other 19 accused, who have been barred to leave the country are- present shareholder directors and top executives of International Leasing and Finance Service Limited- MA Hashem, M Nurul Alam, Md Zahirul Alam, Nasim Anwar, Bashudeb Banerjee, Papia Banerjee, Momtaz Begum, Md Nowsherul Islam, Md Anwarul Kabir, Engr Md Nuruzzaman, Md Abul Hashem, Rashedul Haque,, PK Halder’s mother Lilaboti Halder, brother Pritish Kumar Halder, wife Susmita Saha, cousins Amitav Adhikari, Abhijit Adhikari, former managing director of Bank Asia Erfanuddin Ahmed and one Uzzal Kumar Nandi.