The committee probing the postal scam in Nilphamari has detected savings and defence certificates worth about Tk two crore purchased in the names of three accused postal employees, their wives, sons and daughters.

The employees accused of misappropriating depositors' money are Assistant Post Master of Nilphamari Head Post Office Mir Nurul Islam Munna, Ledger Operator Ahamedul Islam Raju and Postal Operator Taslimuddin.

There are numerous savings and defence certificates of various denominations in their names, a member of the probe body told this correspondent seeking anonymity. But he declined to elaborate.

He also said that savings certificates worth about Tk 20 lakh in the name of a former DPMG of Rangpur region, his wife and relatives have also been detected in Nilphamari Head Post Office. The DPGM is now under suspension.

These were detected after filing of two cases by Torab Ali, Post Master of Nilphamari Head Post Office, with Nilphamari Sadar thana on April 6 and 13 against four postal employees in connection with misappropriation of Tk 3.12 crore from depositors' accounts.

The cases were filed against Mir Nurul Islam Munna, Ahamedul Islam Raju, Taslimuddin and Postal Operator Liaquat Ali. Taslimuddin is absconding and the rest three are in custody.

Meanwhile, the authorities at Nilphamari Head Post Office, on orders from high officials, on Monday suspended payments against three savings certificates worth Tk one lakh 50 thousand, sent from Uttara Bank local branch. The savings certificates were owned by Nuzhat Noor Nuri, daughter of Mir

Nurul Islam Munna.

The three certificates (Sa-Jha-1496004, Sa-Jha 1496005 and Sa-Jha-1496006) each worth Tk 50,000 were deposited with the Uttara Bank as mortgage for a Tk two lakh loan taken by a local influential political leader on December 18, 2000. Nuri was the guarantor of the loan.

When contacted, the bank manager said the loan was sanctioned against postal saving certificates as per law.

This is not the lone case of loan disbursement against savings certificates owned by relatives of the accused postal employees.

It was gathered from probe body members and bank officials that about Tk 20 lakh loans were given to some other influential people against savings certificates owned by relatives of the accused persons. But they declined to name the influentials.

Munna and Raju in their confessional statements made under

Section 164 in the court of a First Class Magistrate earlier confessed their involvement in the postal scam. They made the confessions after their 3-day second remand in the second case, taken by Detective Branch of police.

Investigating officer (IO) of the second case, DB Inspector Rezaul Kkarim, told newsmen earlier that Munna and Raju told police that some high officials of the postal department were involved in the scam. The officials would come to Nilphamari twice or thrice a week and took their share of the misappropriated money, the IO quoted them as saying.

A member of the probe body, Ashraful Alam, told this correspondent that investigation in the savings accounts section is going on and more case could be filed if necessary.