ACC launches probe into Munni Saha and husband‍‍`s suspicious wealth and bank transactions

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has started an investigation into television host and journalist Munni Saha and her husband, Kabir Hossain Tapas, over allegations of having assets and bank transactions that don’t match their known income.

On Thursday, January 2, ACC Director General Md. Akhtar Hossain (Prevention) confirmed the news of the investigation.

According to the ACC, Munni Saha and her husband, who owns a company called MS Promotionals, are under investigation for allegedly having an unusual amount of money flowing through their bank accounts — around 134 crore taka. 

At present, their account shows only 14 crore taka. The ACC claims they have acquired assets beyond what they’ve legally declared.

The investigation suggests that after a political change, a massive sum of 120 crore taka was withdrawn from Munni Saha’s bank account, leaving only 14 crore taka behind. 

This money was moved through 17 different banks, with One Bank seeing the most transactions. 

The Bangladesh Bank and the Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) also found that on May 2, 2017, a bank account was opened under the name of MS Promotionals, owned by Kabir Hossain Tapas, with him listed as a nominee.

Further, a company named Prime Traders took a loan of 51 crore 50 lakh taka from a Chattogram branch, and the interest on the loan was forgiven.

Even though there was no business connection between MS Promotionals and Prime Traders, large amounts of money were moved between the two, raising suspicions. 

On September 29, 2019, a transfer of 56 lakh 50 thousand taka was made from MS Promotionals‍‍` account to Prime Traders’ account, which has triggered concerns of money laundering.

The investigation has also uncovered that Munni Saha owns two expensive duplex houses at 165 and 167 Shantiniketan on the Gulshan-Tegargao Link Road.