The Anti-Corruption Commission will quiz Syed Modasser Ali, health adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as part of its ongoing investigation into the Hall-Mark loan scam.

ACC Commissioner Md Badiuzzaman, acting chairman of the anti-graft body, yesterday officially informed journalists that the adviser's name had come up during their probe into the Tk 3,547 crore scandal.

He said the commission had to question the adviser to examine the information it had.

Citing sources, The Daily Star on Thursday reported the ACC had information that Modasser had influenced Sonali Bank into illegally granting a huge amount of loan to Hall-Mark Group.

"As his [Modasser's] name has surfaced, of course we have to quiz him," the ACC commissioner said, adding that any other bigwig would be interrogated if necessary.

Meanwhile, Tanvir Mahmud, managing director of Hall-Mark, yesterday claimed to the ACC investigators that his company had taken the loan from Sonali Bank “legally”.

After being interrogated by the ACC team, Tanvir told journalists that he had assets worth 20 times higher than the amount borrowed from the state-run commercial bank.

"I am not involved in any corruption. I have taken money [from Sonali Bank] and I will return it," he said. "I did not flee the country; I will not do so. I will return the money and only then will I go."

He also claimed he had not taken any help from any minister or lawmaker to get this loan.

Tanvir said the health adviser attended only two events of his company and went to his hometown for a reception programme. If it was a crime, the government should make it clear, he added.

Earlier, a Bangladesh Bank probe found that the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel branch of Sonali Bank had lent Hall-Mark Group and five other companies Tk 3,547 crore between 2010 and May this year on forged documents.

Of the Tk 3,547 crore, Hall-Mark Group alone took Tk 2,686.14 crore while T and Brothers Tk 609.69 crore, Paragon Group Tk 146.60 crore, Nakshi Knit Tk 66.36 crore, DN Sports Tk 33.25 crore and Khanjahan Ali Tk 4.96 crore.

An investigation team yesterday quizzed Hall-Mark Chairman Jesmin Islam and Tanvir from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

Hall-Mark General Manager Tusher Ahmed also went to the ACC office but the investigators could not interrogate him due to time constraints.

Contacted, Tusher said Jesmin and Tanvir were asked how they had got the money and what had been done with it.

“The ACC is investigating all 34 garment units of the group,” he told The Daily Star over the phone.

The ACC did not demand any document from the group on the first day of the quizzing, he said. “If necessary, the ACC might call us in the near future.”

The six-member probe body has so far interrogated 17 Sonali Bank officials.

Led by ACC Deputy Director Mir Md Zainul Abedin Shebly, the team yesterday also quizzed top officials of DN Sports, another business organisation.

The five other investigators of the team are Akhter Hamid, a deputy director; assistant directors Nazmus Sadat and Moshiur Rahman and deputy assistant directors Mohammad Mojibur Rahman and Zainal Abedin.

DN Sports Chairman Motahar Uddin Chowdhury, Managing Director Shafiqur Rahman and Director Fahmida Akhter Chowdhury Shikha were questioned from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

The ACC sources said all the officials from Hall-Mark and DN Sports claimed they had taken loans from Sonali Bank by following due process.

News: The Daily Star/Bangladesh/03-Sep-12