FF certificate scam: ACC sues Sonali Bank ex-DGM Pradeep Kumar Sharma

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed a case against former Sonali Bank top official Pradeep Kumar Sharma for taking a job using fake freedom fighter certificates.

The case was filed at the ACC's integrated Dhaka Office on Tuesday.

Pradeep was the deputy general manager (DGM) of Foreign Remittance Management Division of Sonali Bank Limited.

Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune, ACC Deputy Director (Public Relations) Muhammad Arif Sadeq said that the accused had taken the job in the bank in 1984 showing fake certificates and received facilities from the government.

Pradeep used photocopies of FF’s certificate

The ACC filed the case after fnding the allegations against him to be true after conducting an investigation.

The findings say Pradeep, 65, submitted a photocopy of a forged certificate to get the job. 

In 1983, Pradeep applied for the job of an officer of the same bank, showing a fake freedom fighter's certificate.

A year later, he joined the service by declaring himself as a freedom fighter by submitting a photocopy of a certificate signed by the then central acting chairman of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad Zakir Khan Chowdhury (Harun) and adviser Major General Sadiqur Rahman.

In the job advertisement published in 1983, the maximum age limit for general candidates was 27 years and the age of freedom fighters was 30 years. But on that date, Pradeep's age was 29 years 4 months 29 days since he was born on July 1, 1954.

 Despite not being a freedom fighter, the accused joined the service on July 10, 1984.

 During his employment from 1984 to June 30, 2014, he embezzled over Tk1.31 crore from Sonali Bank Limited, the probe report adds.