Tk 2 cr bonds in names of wives, wards of accused

Of these, savings certificates worth Tk 53.50 lakh is owned by the son and daughters of accused Assistant Post Master Mir Nural Islam Munna, Tk 38.50 lakh certificates by two wives of Ledger Operator Ahmedul Islam Raju Ahamedul Islam Raju.

The probe body said their investigation suggests that savings certificates worth about Tk 70 lakh are owned by former DPMG Sushanto Kumar Mondal, his wife Anjali Rani Saha and his brother-in-laws. This will be confirmed after further investigation, they said.

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"Payment against the savings certificates bought in the names of Susanta is now suspended as per directive from higher authoritaties. These accounts may be freezed", said a member of the probe body.

Meanwhile higher postal authorities have sent letters to bank officials to know weather their local branches had granted any loan against savings certificates owned by relatives of the accused persons.

On May 2, the postal authorities suspended payments against three savings certificates worth Tk one lakh fifty thousand, owned by the daughter of accused Mir Nural Islam Munna. These savings certificates bore Nos SA-Jha 1496004, SA-Jha 1496005 and SA-Jha 1496006.

The postal probe body from Dhaka has detected defalcation of more Tk one crore 18 lakh in Nilphamari head past office.

Of the amount, Tk 76. 36 lakh was detected in the fix deposit section and Tk 41.66 lakh in the savings certificate section. With this, the total defalcated money from depositors' accounts now stands at Tk four crore 31 lakh.

A member of the probe body, Asraful Alam, told this correspondent yesterday any fresh case will not be filed after the new detection. "Supplements will be added to the cases filed earlier", he said.

Earlier, Post Master of Nilphamari Head Post Office Torab Ali filed two cases on April 6 and April 13 after defalcation of Tk 3.13 crore was detected.

Assistant Post Master Mir Nural Islam Munna, Ledger Operator Ahmedul Islam Raju and postal operators Taslimuddin and Liaqat Ali were charged in the cases. Munna, Raju and Liaqat are in custody and Toslimuddin is absconding.

Accused Mir Nural Islam Munna and Ahamedul Islam Raju gave confessional statements under Section 164 before a First Class Magistrate's court.

They told the court that two former DPMGs of Rangpur postal region, Sushanto Kumar Mondol and Mahabubar Rahman were involved in the scam. Both are under suspension now.

The five-member probe body headed by Additional Director General Mobasserur Rahman, which started the probe at Nilphamari Head Post Office on April 3, concluded its work yesterday.

Rajul Islam, DPMG of Dinajpur postal region, who is also in-charge of Rangpur postal region now, told this correspondent that the probe would continue by another team.

A senior lawyer here told this correspondent that the first case was filed under sections 409 and 34 and the second one under sections 409 and 467, which are bilabial.