Mohamed Wajibulla Milon, managing director of Samantha Corporation, says he has been hiding in the country now for nearly a month, fearing for his life.
RAB-1 raided the corporation’s buying house at Baridhara DOHS on Apr 6 when Milon was out and arrested 12 of his employees initially on charges of fraud.
They claimed Wajibulla is the ringleader of a fraud group that used the office as a ‘torture cell’. They also said that they found liquor, phensedyl and 38 bullets in the office.
RAB says they had got the tip-off from one SM&Co, a garment factory located at Bashundhara.
That is where perhaps hangs the tale.
Wajibulla has denied the allegations levelled against him to bdnews24.com over telephone from an undisclosed location.
“RAB has told the media that I’m a fraud, but I’m well known businessman in Bangladesh and abroad. We were making jerseys for FIFA World Cup and other labelled products when they raided my office.”
“I’m supposed to deliver the jerseys within May 15.”
Samantha Corporation is a corporate member of BGMEA and is listed under Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). The group of companies includes Rangoli Events, the organisers of South Asia Trade Fair (SATF) in Spain, Valencia.
Wajibulla said he has been a permanent Spanish resident since 2005 and travels back and forth between Bangladesh and Spain for business and family reasons.
The raid by RAB that sealed his office was planned out by business rivals out to capitalise on feuds within his company with the sole intention of taking over his business, said Wajibulla.
He said his computer, where highly valuable accounts and all his designs are stored, has also been seized.
“They first accused me of being a fraud and later filed two cases over possession of arms and drugs against me. But if Samantha Corporation is a sham company why didn’t they accuse its chairman Lokman Hossain Akash and CEO Kazi Ariful Islam of fraud? Why isn’t RAB looking for them?”
Lokman Hossain Akash is also head of international marketing at Walton and according to Wajibulla, Kazi Ariful Islam secured his trade license for his company Crystal Vision Creations while he was Samantha’s CEO.
bdnews24.com contacted Walton’s Media Wing who said Lokman Hossain Akash was away in Dubai. He could not be reached on the phone number that was provided.
They claimed Wajibulla is the ringleader of a fraud group that used the office as a ‘torture cell’. They also said that they found liquor, phensedyl and 38 bullets in the office.
RAB says they had got the tip-off from one SM&Co, a garment factory located at Bashundhara.
That is where perhaps hangs the tale.
Wajibulla has denied the allegations levelled against him to bdnews24.com over telephone from an undisclosed location.
“RAB has told the media that I’m a fraud, but I’m well known businessman in Bangladesh and abroad. We were making jerseys for FIFA World Cup and other labelled products when they raided my office.”
“I’m supposed to deliver the jerseys within May 15.”
Samantha Corporation is a corporate member of BGMEA and is listed under Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE). The group of companies includes Rangoli Events, the organisers of South Asia Trade Fair (SATF) in Spain, Valencia.
Wajibulla said he has been a permanent Spanish resident since 2005 and travels back and forth between Bangladesh and Spain for business and family reasons.
The raid by RAB that sealed his office was planned out by business rivals out to capitalise on feuds within his company with the sole intention of taking over his business, said Wajibulla.
He said his computer, where highly valuable accounts and all his designs are stored, has also been seized.
“They first accused me of being a fraud and later filed two cases over possession of arms and drugs against me. But if Samantha Corporation is a sham company why didn’t they accuse its chairman Lokman Hossain Akash and CEO Kazi Ariful Islam of fraud? Why isn’t RAB looking for them?”
Lokman Hossain Akash is also head of international marketing at Walton and according to Wajibulla, Kazi Ariful Islam secured his trade license for his company Crystal Vision Creations while he was Samantha’s CEO.
bdnews24.com contacted Walton’s Media Wing who said Lokman Hossain Akash was away in Dubai. He could not be reached on the phone number that was provided.
Mohamed Wajibulla Milon on the far left
Meanwhile, Ariful Islam has denied having any connections with Samantha Corporation.
“He (Wajibulla) used my Crystal Vision office before renting his own. Beyond that, I have no connection with him.”
When asked if he was the one who rented the sealed Baridhara office, he sounded upset.
“He (Wajibulla) asked me to rent it for him. I don’t want to talk to you about this. I will not say anything.”
Wajibulla believes these two men along with some of his other employees have 'used RAB' to plot the destruction of his flourishing business and the crack para-military wing has been sucked into business rivalries.
“They stopped coming to the office and cooperating on work after I arrived at Dhaka in January.”
“If I leave they can take over my business here. They aroused my suspicion by their many moves."
Wajibulla said his company began working with SM&Co from March 6 through the office’s administration officer Saifuddin Saif, who joined the office in February.
“We first asked them to make us samples for 72 designs by El Rio Blanco and gave them fabric, accessories worth Tk 36.5 million, meant for producing 80,000 garment pieces.”
“When we asked for the samples, the factory’s managing director Saifuddin Milon began asking for Tk 2,200,000 saying the factory didn’t have money to pay labours’ salaries. We refused saying we will pay them when the goods are delivered”
“I sent my Quality Control (QC) officials Nihar Ranjan Das, Anwar Mostafa and Mainul Islam to their factory on Apr 1 but they were pushed out. I called MD Milon and sent them back. This time the factory told them they have finished producing the entire lot of 80,000 pieces and were packing the goods!”
The QC officials were among those arrested during the Apr 6 raid and taken on three-day remands.
“My QC men returned with two samples for each design and I saw that the product designs, stitching and pattern were wrong and unfit for shipment.”
Samantha Executive Ruth Christina Roy says the RAB personnel came to the Baridhara office on Apr 1 before the raid. "They came 30 minutes after four SM&Co officials including its MD came to the office without prior notice.”
Roy said the office was in a staff meeting and the men were asked to wait.
“There was a knock on the door and four RAB men entered. They were headed by a man who identified himself as Major Lovell from RAB-1. He began screaming and said ‘what is going on here?’.”
“He (Wajibulla) used my Crystal Vision office before renting his own. Beyond that, I have no connection with him.”
When asked if he was the one who rented the sealed Baridhara office, he sounded upset.
“He (Wajibulla) asked me to rent it for him. I don’t want to talk to you about this. I will not say anything.”
Wajibulla believes these two men along with some of his other employees have 'used RAB' to plot the destruction of his flourishing business and the crack para-military wing has been sucked into business rivalries.
“They stopped coming to the office and cooperating on work after I arrived at Dhaka in January.”
“If I leave they can take over my business here. They aroused my suspicion by their many moves."
Wajibulla said his company began working with SM&Co from March 6 through the office’s administration officer Saifuddin Saif, who joined the office in February.
“We first asked them to make us samples for 72 designs by El Rio Blanco and gave them fabric, accessories worth Tk 36.5 million, meant for producing 80,000 garment pieces.”
“When we asked for the samples, the factory’s managing director Saifuddin Milon began asking for Tk 2,200,000 saying the factory didn’t have money to pay labours’ salaries. We refused saying we will pay them when the goods are delivered”
“I sent my Quality Control (QC) officials Nihar Ranjan Das, Anwar Mostafa and Mainul Islam to their factory on Apr 1 but they were pushed out. I called MD Milon and sent them back. This time the factory told them they have finished producing the entire lot of 80,000 pieces and were packing the goods!”
The QC officials were among those arrested during the Apr 6 raid and taken on three-day remands.
“My QC men returned with two samples for each design and I saw that the product designs, stitching and pattern were wrong and unfit for shipment.”
Samantha Executive Ruth Christina Roy says the RAB personnel came to the Baridhara office on Apr 1 before the raid. "They came 30 minutes after four SM&Co officials including its MD came to the office without prior notice.”
Roy said the office was in a staff meeting and the men were asked to wait.
“There was a knock on the door and four RAB men entered. They were headed by a man who identified himself as Major Lovell from RAB-1. He began screaming and said ‘what is going on here?’.”
RAB-1 Deputy Director Asif Kuddus has confirmed that there is no major called 'Lovell' in the battalion.
Roy said : “At one point SM&Co Marketing Officer Khaliluzzaman, to our wildest surprise, said: “Sir, they want to beat us and keep us locked up in here!”
She said one of the RAB constables even loaded his gun in front of them.
She said Wajibulla called Cantonment Police Station SI Wahiduzzaman and handed 'Lovell' the phone.
“The man who said he was Lovell calmed down and called someone. He said ‘Sir, we got the wrong information. It’s just a dispute between two parties. We’ll resolve it and head back.”
“The SM&Co men left while Lovell was talking to me, he was nicer this time: I don’t know why but he claimed he was also a BCS Cadre.”
“They rushed out soon saying they have some other place to go to.”
Roy said the building’s security guard later told them that he saw the men dressed as RAB talk to the people from SM&Co before both the parties left.
SI Wahiduzzaman told bdnews24.com that he sent a patrol car to the office after receiving a call from Samantha Corp.
"They called to complain about the disturbance but all of them left before our patrol arrived there."
Roy said policemen turned up at her home on the Green Road on Apr 10 and harassed her mother saying her daughter has ‘gone bad’.
“My mother also received a call from SM&Co official Khaliluzzaman on Apr 13 who also tried to foul mouth me.”
bdnews24.com contacted Jurgen Gorris, a Belgian businessman and a permanent resident of Spain, who is administrative head of Holiday Feelings SA, the importers for the El Rio Blanco label.
“I’ve known Wajibulla for two years and am aware of the raid. I’m in contact with the Bangladesh Mission in Spain, the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka and the BGMEA. I’ve told them he needs security.”
“I’ve visited Bangladesh twice last year and saw widespread corruption in factories, police and government offices. I’ve requested Belgium embassy to provide me security the next time I’m in Dhaka. I will not step into the country until I’m provided some form of security.”
Gorris said he has $250,000 invested in the 80,000 El Rio Blanco pieces with SM&Co -- but that his company stands to lose the entire money as the shipment of the huge order seems unlikely.
“I’ll go bankrupt if I don’t get the goods in a month. I’m paying $21,000 in rents and salaries but have no goods in stock. The owners already want me out.”
Roy said : “At one point SM&Co Marketing Officer Khaliluzzaman, to our wildest surprise, said: “Sir, they want to beat us and keep us locked up in here!”
She said one of the RAB constables even loaded his gun in front of them.
She said Wajibulla called Cantonment Police Station SI Wahiduzzaman and handed 'Lovell' the phone.
“The man who said he was Lovell calmed down and called someone. He said ‘Sir, we got the wrong information. It’s just a dispute between two parties. We’ll resolve it and head back.”
“The SM&Co men left while Lovell was talking to me, he was nicer this time: I don’t know why but he claimed he was also a BCS Cadre.”
“They rushed out soon saying they have some other place to go to.”
Roy said the building’s security guard later told them that he saw the men dressed as RAB talk to the people from SM&Co before both the parties left.
SI Wahiduzzaman told bdnews24.com that he sent a patrol car to the office after receiving a call from Samantha Corp.
"They called to complain about the disturbance but all of them left before our patrol arrived there."
Roy said policemen turned up at her home on the Green Road on Apr 10 and harassed her mother saying her daughter has ‘gone bad’.
“My mother also received a call from SM&Co official Khaliluzzaman on Apr 13 who also tried to foul mouth me.”
bdnews24.com contacted Jurgen Gorris, a Belgian businessman and a permanent resident of Spain, who is administrative head of Holiday Feelings SA, the importers for the El Rio Blanco label.
“I’ve known Wajibulla for two years and am aware of the raid. I’m in contact with the Bangladesh Mission in Spain, the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka and the BGMEA. I’ve told them he needs security.”
“I’ve visited Bangladesh twice last year and saw widespread corruption in factories, police and government offices. I’ve requested Belgium embassy to provide me security the next time I’m in Dhaka. I will not step into the country until I’m provided some form of security.”
Gorris said he has $250,000 invested in the 80,000 El Rio Blanco pieces with SM&Co -- but that his company stands to lose the entire money as the shipment of the huge order seems unlikely.
“I’ll go bankrupt if I don’t get the goods in a month. I’m paying $21,000 in rents and salaries but have no goods in stock. The owners already want me out.”
bdnews24.com has copies of the letters sent by Gorris.
When asked about the two cases filed against Wajibulla, Cantonment Police Station OC Atik said, “RAB gave us some evidence. The cases were filed under Arms and Narcotics Control Act and he is not being charged with fraud. I can’t say much because the cases are under investigation.”
“He had requested to be issued arms for his personal security but the case is now negative because of the cases against him.”
Under the country’s law, a citizen must pay tax to the tune of at least Tk 200,000 to be issued arms for personal security.
“We found some parts of a weapon and handed it to police. RAB-1 Commander Lt Col Kismat Hayat told bdnews24.com. “We are keeping an eye on the office since it was a torture cell.”
When asked why the cases were filed over arms and drugs even though Wajibulla and his employees were initially accused of fraud, he said, “SM&Co already filed a case against him for fraud so we didn’t bring that charge.”
RAB-1 Deputy Director Asif Kuddus, who led the Apr 6 operation, said, “We were told that people are tortured in that house. We had complains from the building’s owner and people of the neighbourhood.”
“We also found 28 CCTV cameras installed in the house. We thought that was unusual.”
When asked why only Wajibulla and not other top officials of Samantha Corp have been charged, Kuddus said, “We accused those we thought were involved on various charges during our raid.”
When asked about the two cases filed against Wajibulla, Cantonment Police Station OC Atik said, “RAB gave us some evidence. The cases were filed under Arms and Narcotics Control Act and he is not being charged with fraud. I can’t say much because the cases are under investigation.”
“He had requested to be issued arms for his personal security but the case is now negative because of the cases against him.”
Under the country’s law, a citizen must pay tax to the tune of at least Tk 200,000 to be issued arms for personal security.
“We found some parts of a weapon and handed it to police. RAB-1 Commander Lt Col Kismat Hayat told bdnews24.com. “We are keeping an eye on the office since it was a torture cell.”
When asked why the cases were filed over arms and drugs even though Wajibulla and his employees were initially accused of fraud, he said, “SM&Co already filed a case against him for fraud so we didn’t bring that charge.”
RAB-1 Deputy Director Asif Kuddus, who led the Apr 6 operation, said, “We were told that people are tortured in that house. We had complains from the building’s owner and people of the neighbourhood.”
“We also found 28 CCTV cameras installed in the house. We thought that was unusual.”
When asked why only Wajibulla and not other top officials of Samantha Corp have been charged, Kuddus said, “We accused those we thought were involved on various charges during our raid.”
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