|
30 November 2008 Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed Governor, Bangladesh Bank
Dear Sir,
An individual by the name
Faruq Ahmad,
trading under the name “Qibla Hajj Kafela,” based at 2 Old Montague
Street,
London E1, had absconded with prospective pilgrims' deposits
estimated about £800,000/- (Eight hundred thousand pounds). Metropolitan Police in London has so far recovered about 308 passports from the office of “Qibla Hajj Kafela.”
Voice for Justice
(http://www.voiceforjustice.org)
has called for a meeting of its executives, the MET Police
and the affected Hajjees at 6 Robert Sutton House, Tarling TRA Hall,
London E1 OBA at 7pm on Wednesday,
the 26th of November, to discuss the issue. I have already reported the matter to the Right Honourable Mr. Stephen Timms MP - the British Minister for Employment, Welfare Reform and Finance, to Mr. Stephen Evans, the British High Commissioner and to Mr. Allan Morrison, the Consul General in Dhaka Bangladesh.
Please advise as to how best and how quickly this money can be
returned back to the victims.
Dr. Hasanat Husain ------------------------------------------------------------
RESPONSE
Bangladesh Bank has already taken action on the matter. We have also
written to the relevant authorities in England
regarding Mr. Faruq Ahmed and we have also written to our High
Commission in London.
------------------------------------------------------------ Detective Inspector Mr. Des McHugh Metropolitan Police, London, UK
28 Nov. 2008 Dear Sir,
Ref.: CAD …
This is in response to your e-mail dated 25th November regarding the above.
The statement you sent was read out at the meeting on the 26th of November at the meetings (attended by many victims) at the Tarling TRA Hall. Also, last night I was invited to a 90min. (20-30 to 22-00 hrs) live TV talk show at the Channel S (Sky TV 814) where I read out part of the statement.
Victims (who have not yet provided details) were asked to contact 0208-217-4948 and viewers were requested to visit the www.met.police.uk/towerhamlets on Monday, December 1st for update.
It is now reported that a good proportion of the money has been located at the Mutual Trust Bank at Dhaka Bangladesh. It is also reported that in the absence of a Met Police Arrest Warrant, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank can not keep the money under seize more than a month.
In my previous e-mail I have forwarded to you the e-mail received from HM Consul General of the British High Commission in Dhaka, Bangladesh in which he wrote '... If the police issue an arrest warrant for this individual it is possible that an extradition request could be made to return him to the UK to face prosecution and that it may be possible to recover the funds as part of this process ...'
I have also forwarded to you the e-mail I received from the Rt. Hon. Minister for Finance, Mr. Stephen Timms MP, regarding this issue.
I shall be very grateful if you kindly allow a small team of 3/4 Executives of Voice for Justice to come and meet with you for your suggestions as to how best we can assist the Police to recover the money.
With best regards.
Dr. Hasanat Husain Convenor Voice for Justice, UK.
Address : 32 Woodland Way, Woodford, Essex IG8 0QQ, UK.
Email : hasanathusain@yahoo.co.uk
------------------------------------------------------------ From: Stephen Timms MP 27 November, 2008 Thank you very much for keeping me posted. I am glad the British High Commission provided you this response. I attended the meeting in Barclay Hall on Saturday. I learned there about most - but not all - of the passports having been recovered by the police, and about money having been located in Bangladesh. Please keep me posted.
Stephen Timms MP
------------------------------------------------------------ As regards your request … I suggest that you discuss this development with the MET police and pass to them any evidence of these facts. If the police issue an arrest warrant for this individual it is possible that an extradition request could be made to return him to the UK to face prosecution and that it may be possible to recover the funds as part of this process. But please seek police advice on these matters. Alternatively, I would recommend you seek legal advice in Bangladesh to ascertain whether or not charges could be brought here in an effort to recover the funds and prosecute this individual. It is extremely unfortunate that the Hajj pilgrimage of the victims may now be in doubt. It is my sincere wish that if they are not able to make the pilgrimage this year that they are able to go in the future. I wish you, and the police, the best of luck in solving this crime and in the full recovery of the missing property.
Alan Morrison
-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Desmond.Mchugh2@met.police.uk Dr. Hasanat Husain Voice for Justice 5 March 2009
Dear Dr. Husain,
Mohammed Faruk Ahmed (16/11/67 – 41 years) of Brick Lane, E1 appeared at
Thames Magistrates' Court today, Thursday 5 March. I recognise that this is an emotive issue. I ask that those affected continue to be patient whilst the judicial process takes place.
Regards
DI Desmond Mchugh Detective Inspector, Metropolitan Police, London.
|