Dhaka, Sep 12 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Advisor Syed Modasser Ali on Wednesday claimed he does not have 'the least involvement' with the Hallmark loan scam. This is first time that persistent journalists forced the ruling Awami League's influential leader into breaking his silence and saying something on an issue that has been bugging the government day in and day out.
Journalists swarmed around Ali as he saw the Prime Minister off after she inaugurated the National Institute of Neuroscience and Hospital at Sher-e Bangla Nagar.
The Advisor pushed his way through the crowd of reporters and tried to avoid answering a question over his name appearing in newspapers in connection with the Hallmark loan scam.
"No comments," said the Advisor as he virtually ran.
"Write as you wish," added Ali as reporters followed him.
Reporters finally got him stuck waiting for the lift at the newly-built institute.
"Listen, you are like my children. So, I am telling this I don't have the least involvement with the incident (the scam)," said Ali guarded by his gunman.
"I could have said that I don't know anything. I have said this as you (reporters) are like my kids," he added.
He, however, did not reply whether he would go to the Anti Corruption Commission if the anti-graft watchdog called him.
The ACC recently decided to question the Advisor as his name surfaced in its ongoing probe into the misappropriation of over Tk 26 billion by the Hallmark Group. The money is part of about Tk 36 billion siphoned off from the Ruposhi Bangla branch of the largest state-owned commercial bank, the Sonali Bank.
The central bank revealed the scam in its own survey tracing violation of rules in disbursing the amount as loan by the bank, leading to suspension of 20 Sonali Bank officials.
Recently the Finance Minister AMA Muhith also indicated filing of case against people involved with the scandal. The High Court has also been moved for a judicial probe into the rip-off.
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