A Dhaka court has issued an arrest warrant against S Alam Group Chairman Mohammad Saiful Alam, and his two brothers, Abdus Samad and Mohammad Abdullah Hasan, in a corruption case filed against them.
The court also allowed a petition filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to issue "INTERPOL Red notice" against them through the home ministry.
Judge of the Metropolitan Senior Special Judge's Court in Dhaka passed the order on Wednesday after hearing a petition filed by the ACC.
Earlier on the day, ACC Deputy Director (Money Laundering) Tahasin Monabil Haq, also leader of the joint investigation team, submitted the petition to issue arrest warrant against the accused, and to execute the order by the INTERPOL.
An "INTERPOL Red Notice" is a request to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. The individuals are wanted by the requesting member country, or international tribunal. Member countries apply their own laws in deciding whether to arrest a person.
In the petition, the ACC official stated that Mohammad Saiful Alam and his brothers, who are also Vice Chairman and Director of S Alam Group respectively, colluded with each other to commit criminal misconduct and breach of trust. They allegedly created false documents to secure a loan of Tk 1.04 billion in the name of a shell entity, AM Trading, and subsequently misappropriated the funds.
Apart from this, Mohammad Saiful Alam laundered Tk 3.4 billion to the interests of S Alam Edible Oil Limited. These acts are very much offence under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2012, the Prevention of Corruption Act 1947, and Penal Code 1860, read the petition submitted to the court.
Several efforts were made during the investigation period to apprehend the accused. However, the ACC investigation team has found that the accused had fled from Bangladesh. Therefore, the petition sought an INTERPOL Red Notice against the accused and the court has allowed it.
S Alam Group Chairman Mohammed Saiful Alam and his family have acquired vast wealth at home and abroad, using money siphoned off through loans taken in the name of front companies, according to an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Some of his associates, including his former domestic help and her husband, also acquired wealth beyond known sources of their income and laundered money abroad, it said.
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