The High Court (HC) has asked the authorities concerned to explain why directions should not be given to recover the money laundered by l e-commerce platform ‘E-orange’ and disburse it among its customers.
The HC bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo issued the order after hearing a writ petition.
Barrister M Abdul Qayyum on April 3 filed the writ on behalf of 500 customers of the controversial
e-commerce company seeking directives to refund Tk 77 crore of the customers.
The HC bench also asked in the rule, why order should not be given to form a high-level committee in this regard. At the same time, the court asked for action against the money launderers of E-orange.
The higher court directed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate the allegation of money laundering and embezzling customers’ money against e-commerce platform E-orange and submit their report within four months.
Commerce Secretary and eight others were made respondents to the rule.
Advocate Ahsanul Karim and Barrister M Abdul Qayyum stood for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General AKM Amin Uddin Manik represented the state.
The lawyers said that the HC also wanted to know about the steps taken for bringing back the fugitive accused of e-commerce platform.
The customers of E-orange had ordered products from the e-commerce platform by collecting e-ticket after clearing payments, but the company did not provide the products to the customers.
Earlier, the affected customers of the e-commerce platform had sought government intervention to get their ordered goods or refunds. They had requested the commerce ministry to take necessary steps in this regard.
Unlike other family businesses, E-orange experienced a ‘robust growth’ in sales in only two years since its inception in 2019.
However, the customers of the company in 2020 started accusing it of failing to deliver products on time even after receiving payments.
It was reported that owner of E-orange Sonia Mehzabin, sister of Banani police inspector (investigation) Sheikh Sohel Rana, her husband Masukur Rahman and Sohel’s so-called wife Naznin Nahar Bithi, another owner of the company, all have gobbled up around Tk 1,100 crore in advance money without delivering products purchased to customers.
Sonia Mehzabin and her husband Masukur Rahman are currently in jail.