Embezzlement of Tk 152 crore: Former VAT commissioner Waheeda sued

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has sued former commissioner of large taxpayers’ unit (LTU) of value-added tax (VAT) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Waheeda Rahman Choudhury on chrage of embezzling money by causing losses amounting to Tk 152 crore of the state through misuse of power.

The case was filed at the ACC’s integrated district office in Dhaka-1 on Tuesday (June 11). ACC’s assistant director Md Shah Alam Sheikh filed the case.

Customes commissioner Waheeda Rahman Choudhury went on retirement as the LTU Commissioner. She is now on Post Retirement Leave (PRL).

ACC Secretary Khorsheda Yasmin has confirmed it.

The case statement says that accused Waheeda Rahman Choudhury waived four mobile phone operators of paying unpaid interest of Tk 152 crore.

Of the amount, Grameenphone Limited was exempted of paying Tk 58,64,88,697 in six files, Banglalink Digital Communication Limited Tk 57,88,53,051 in seven files, Robi Axiata Tk 14,94,16,688 and Airtel Bangladesh Limited Tk 20,53,30,952.

The case was filed against accused Waheeda Rahman Choudhury under section 218/409 of the Bangladesh Penal Code and section 5 (2) of Corruption Prevention Act of 1947 for causing financial losses to the government through misuse of power and breach of trust of the government by waiving Tk 152,00,89,390 in 16 files through her sole decisions violating the laws with dishonest intention.

In a report submitted by a three-member probe committee led by National Board of Revenue (NBR) member Hossain Ahmed also found the veracity of the allegation against Waheeda Rahman Chooudhury.