Meghna Group chair faces ACC interrogation

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday questioned Meghna Group Chairman Mostafa Kamal, also the managing director at Tanveer Foods Limited, in connection with a tax evasion and money laundering inquiry.

ACC Senior Deputy Director Mir Jainal Abedin Shibly began questioning the businessman at 3.30pm.

The ACC was set to question him on October 23, but Kamal sought more time and appeared in the commission headquarters yesterday.

According to the inquiry, a number of full cream milk powder importers in connivance with some corrupt customs officials has evaded crores of taka in taxes by under-invoicing import costs.

The allegation also mentions a document prepared by Ecoval Dairy Trade of Australia in July 2011, which mentioned that the Tanvir Food Ltd used under-invoicing and hid $1,310 from each tonne of milk powder when it was being imported from Australia.

After analysing these documents, the ACC has suspected that the government might has lost around Tk1,500 crore in revenue due to under-invoicing. At the same time, the allegations also indicate that the understated amount per tonnes were paid  to their Australian counterpart using illegal channels.

The ACC also plans to question Abul Khair Group officials and Arla Foods Bangladesh official in this connection.