গ্রাহকদের সঙ্গে প্রতারণা ও সন্দেহজনক লেনদেনের অভিযোগে ইউনিপেটুইউ’র (বাংলাদেশ) এজেন্টদের কমপক্ষে ২০০টি ব্যাংক অ্যাকাউন্ট জব্দ করেছে বাংলাদেশ ব্যাংক। এসব অ্যাকাউন্ট থেকে কোন টাকাতুলতে দেওয়া হচ্ছে না। দুর্নীতি দমন কমিশনের (দুদক) আবেদনের পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে এ সিদ্ধান্ত নেওয়া হয়েছে।
এদিকে ব্যাংক অ্যাকাউন্ট জব্দ হওয়ার পর থেকে গ্রাহকদেরও টাকা দেওয়া বন্ধ রেখেছে ইউনিপেটুইউ।
ইউনিপেটুইউ বলছে, এজেন্টদের অ্যাকাউন্ট চালু না করা পর্যন্ত গ্রাহকদের টাকা পরিশোধ করা সম্ভব হবে না। এর ফলে অন্তত পাঁচ হাজার গ্রাহকের কিস্তির টাকা পাওয়া বন্ধ হয়ে গেছে। গ্রাহককদের টাকা ইউনিপেটুইউ’র মূল তিনটি অ্যাকাউন্টে জমা না দিয়ে এজেন্টদের অ্যাকাউন্টে জমা দেওয়ার মাধ্যমে আত্মসাত করা হচ্ছে --এমন অভিযোগ পেয়েই অ্যাকাউন্টগুলো জব্দ করার পদক্ষেপ নেয় বাংলাদেশ ব্যাংক।
Bangladesh Bank has seized at least 200 bank accounts of the agents of Unipay2U, a multilevel marketing company, allegedly for suspicious money transactions, competent sources said.
The decision that came after an appeal from the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) will also not allow anyone to deposit money with these frozen accounts.
On the other hand, the Unipay2U authorities stopped returning money to its investors after the cautionary action of the central bank which has stopped at least 5000 investors from withdrawing money.
"It is not possible to return the money to the investors unless the accounts of our agents are freed," said an official of the Unipay2U.
The central bank took the action following an allegation that Unipay2U authorities are cheating people through depositing money into its agents’ accounts instead of its three main accounts.
Officials of the Money Laundering Prevention Unit of Bangladesh Bank told banglanews that they seized those accounts Thursday.
"An investigation is underway to look into the amount of investors’ money they have misappropriated," said one official of the watchdog agency.
Another source concerned said the Anti-Corruption Commission is also conducting an investigation into the amount and other transacted money.
Manager of Unipay2U (operations) Malik Hasan Noman told banglanews, "Transaction in agents’ accounts remained halted since Thursday, but we were yet to get any formal letter from the Bangladesh Bank. They informed us verbally."
The Unipay2U management also hang a notice on its website that "the bank withdrawals are quite delayed due to some unavoidable situation".
Malik Hasan said, "We will start the transaction after the account be freed as our cheque is being regretted by the bank."
Two agents of Unipay2U--SK Saha and Ashraful Haque--told banglanews, "Almost 5,000 investors will not get their money back for the BB action".
Bangladesh Bank seized nine separate bank accounts of Unipay2U Bangladesh Limited under the names of its Managing Director Muntasir Hussain Eman and three other Directors.
Later, on direction from court, three bank accounts of Unipay2U with The City Bank, BRAC Bank and NCC Bank were freed for transactions.
Unipay2U was also allowed to withdraw highest three-crore money per month for maintaining cost.
But there are allegations that Unipay2U authorities opened numerous accounts through their agents, violating the court order. The outfit authorities allegedly misappropriated money instead of depositing the money with the stipulated bank accounts.
One investor said they are now very worried about their investments.
Sources said Unipay2U took the new way as Bangladesh Bank seized their nine accounts and they had withdrawn a huge amount of money through opening account under the names of their agents.
But there are allegations that there are many accounts of their agents in Dhaka and outside the capital through which they were conducting their business.
এদিকে ব্যাংক অ্যাকাউন্ট জব্দ হওয়ার পর থেকে গ্রাহকদেরও টাকা দেওয়া বন্ধ রেখেছে ইউনিপেটুইউ।
ইউনিপেটুইউ বলছে, এজেন্টদের অ্যাকাউন্ট চালু না করা পর্যন্ত গ্রাহকদের টাকা পরিশোধ করা সম্ভব হবে না। এর ফলে অন্তত পাঁচ হাজার গ্রাহকের কিস্তির টাকা পাওয়া বন্ধ হয়ে গেছে। গ্রাহককদের টাকা ইউনিপেটুইউ’র মূল তিনটি অ্যাকাউন্টে জমা না দিয়ে এজেন্টদের অ্যাকাউন্টে জমা দেওয়ার মাধ্যমে আত্মসাত করা হচ্ছে --এমন অভিযোগ পেয়েই অ্যাকাউন্টগুলো জব্দ করার পদক্ষেপ নেয় বাংলাদেশ ব্যাংক।
Bangladesh Bank has seized at least 200 bank accounts of the agents of Unipay2U, a multilevel marketing company, allegedly for suspicious money transactions, competent sources said.
The decision that came after an appeal from the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) will also not allow anyone to deposit money with these frozen accounts.
On the other hand, the Unipay2U authorities stopped returning money to its investors after the cautionary action of the central bank which has stopped at least 5000 investors from withdrawing money.
"It is not possible to return the money to the investors unless the accounts of our agents are freed," said an official of the Unipay2U.
The central bank took the action following an allegation that Unipay2U authorities are cheating people through depositing money into its agents’ accounts instead of its three main accounts.
Officials of the Money Laundering Prevention Unit of Bangladesh Bank told banglanews that they seized those accounts Thursday.
"An investigation is underway to look into the amount of investors’ money they have misappropriated," said one official of the watchdog agency.
Another source concerned said the Anti-Corruption Commission is also conducting an investigation into the amount and other transacted money.
Manager of Unipay2U (operations) Malik Hasan Noman told banglanews, "Transaction in agents’ accounts remained halted since Thursday, but we were yet to get any formal letter from the Bangladesh Bank. They informed us verbally."
The Unipay2U management also hang a notice on its website that "the bank withdrawals are quite delayed due to some unavoidable situation".
Malik Hasan said, "We will start the transaction after the account be freed as our cheque is being regretted by the bank."
Two agents of Unipay2U--SK Saha and Ashraful Haque--told banglanews, "Almost 5,000 investors will not get their money back for the BB action".
Bangladesh Bank seized nine separate bank accounts of Unipay2U Bangladesh Limited under the names of its Managing Director Muntasir Hussain Eman and three other Directors.
Later, on direction from court, three bank accounts of Unipay2U with The City Bank, BRAC Bank and NCC Bank were freed for transactions.
Unipay2U was also allowed to withdraw highest three-crore money per month for maintaining cost.
But there are allegations that Unipay2U authorities opened numerous accounts through their agents, violating the court order. The outfit authorities allegedly misappropriated money instead of depositing the money with the stipulated bank accounts.
One investor said they are now very worried about their investments.
Sources said Unipay2U took the new way as Bangladesh Bank seized their nine accounts and they had withdrawn a huge amount of money through opening account under the names of their agents.
But there are allegations that there are many accounts of their agents in Dhaka and outside the capital through which they were conducting their business.