H i g h Court issues ‘stand over’ until May 27 on GBX Logistics tax-dodge petition

T h e High Court has issued a ‘stand over’ on a writ petition accusing GBX Logistics, t h e local agent of international container shippers Hapag-Lloyd, of dodging millions in taxes and money laundering until May 27.

T h e court has likewise requested the State to report what steps the National Board of Revenue or NBR, Anti-Corruption Commission or ACC and the Bangladesh Bank to check in light of a past decision whether the transportation firms or their neighborhood operators were evading expenses or laundering cash.

T h e seat of Justice Md Moinul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued the requests on Sunday. The 'remain over' means the request of has been put off to be managed at a later date.

Legal advisors associated with the case said the court issued the requests when a legal counselor asked whether the writ appeal to was viable when the court had officially given its decision on a comparative case.

A legal counselor, Motiur Rahman, recorded the appeal to against GBX Logistics on Feb 11. He had beforehand recorded a comparable appeal to that had been expelled by the court.

Ajmalul Hossain QC and Fida M Kamal, joined by Shaheen Khan, spoke to the solicitor in the underlying hearing. Representative Attorney General Motaher Hossain Saju remained for the State.

Rokanuddin Ahmed and Asaduzzaman spoke to GBX Logistics and Tanjib-ul Alam contended for Hapag-Lloyd in the court.

Shaheen told bdnews24.com the writ appeal to was set up for hearing on Mar 7.

Yet, before hearing the request, the court requested that the applicant keep in touch with the Bangladesh Bank, ACC, and NBR to know their remarks or what steps they had taken.

The court at that point conceded the beginning of the hearing until Sunday.

As the three offices did not react, the court has now issued a remain over on the writ request of until May 27 and requested that the State know and report their announcements, Shaheen said.

Appointee Attorney General Saju said the court requested him to report inside May 27 whether the national bank, ACC, and NBR made any move to check following the past decision if the delivery organizations or their neighborhood operators were avoiding charges or laundering cash, and in the event that they were doing as such, what ventures against them have been taken.

ACC legal counselor Khurshid Alam Khan told bdnews24.com: "The court mentioned some genuine objective facts on a similar issue. So today we said this writ request of isn't viable."

He said the candidate looked for headings on whether the delivery firms or their neighborhood specialists were evading expense or laundering cash.

"We've told the court that it conveyed a comparative judgment some days prior. The judgment said the ACC can research if something is found. On the off chance that the ACC does not take cognisance of such dissensions, there are extents of beginning cases with police or unique judge's court. There are extents of elective cures. So this writ appeal to isn't viable," he said.

Prior, GBX Logistics Managing Director Ahmed Yusuf Walid said she presumed their business rivals were behind the writ appeal.

As indicated by the request, GBX Logistics earned a "significant measure of income" in commissions in 2014, in accordance with the Bangladesh Bank mandates, subsequent to taking care of Hapag-Lloyd's organizations.

"Be that as it may, rather than the 37.5 percent corporate assessment, the organization paid 5 percent charge at source on the income. They have likewise redirected the undisclosed salary out of the nation," legal counselor for the candidate Shaheen had said.

He had said in 2012, the then Hapag-Lloyd's neighborhood specialist, SW Shipping, earned Tk 78.1 million in commission.

"In any case, GBX Logistics, which took care of double the business in 2014, guaranteed in its monetary explanations that it just earned Tk 50 million."

Refering to the organization's money related reports, the appeal to says, GBX additionally expressed a pay of Tk 81.24 million that year from taking care of nearby organizations of Singapore-based OL and BLPL, taking its aggregate profit to Tk 121.24 million.

T h e appeal to claims GBX paid Tk 8.63 million in impose at source rather than Tk 45.45 million in corporate expenses.

T h e applicant served lawful notification twice on the NBR, Bangladesh Bank and the ACC encouraging activities.

T h e High Court was moved as they had not reacted to those, as per the request.