ACC now seeks documents on Evaly

Staff Correspondent: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has written to several government organisations seeking related documents on controversial e-commerce platform Evaly. “We have sought documents on Evaly from different organisations,” ACC Secretary Dr Md Anwar Hossain Hawlader told reporters at ACC office yesterday.
“We will work coordinating with all investigating organisations in this regard,” he added.
Sources said that the ACC inquiry team sent letters to Commerce Ministry, Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit of Bangladesh Bank, City Corporation, Joint Stock Company, Criminal Investigation Department and some organisations.
The ACC launched an inquiry against Evaly on 8 July following a commerce ministry request for legal action over alleged embezzlement of Tk338 crore Evaly took in advance from customers and owed to merchants.
Earlier on 4 July, the commerce ministry sent separate letters to the home ministry, the ACC, the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection and the Bangladesh Competition Commission to take legal action against Evaly by investigating the non-delivery of goods after accepting Tk214 crore in advance payment from customers and the refund of Tk190 crore owed to businesses.
In an inspection report submitted to the commerce ministry last month, the Bangladesh Bank said Evaly’s total liability was Tk407.18 crore.
After receiving Tk213.94 crore in advance from customers and Tk189.85 crore from merchants, the company was expected to have at least Tk403.80 crore in current assets, but it had only Tk65.17 crore.
As of 15 July, the total liabilities of the e-commerce platform, including advance payments taken from customers, debts to suppliers and other business debts, amounted to Tk543 crore. There is an additional debt of Tk1 crore for shareholder equity, Evaly says a statement submitted to the commerce ministry.
However, Evaly’s liability statement did not separately show the amount of debts owed to customers and merchants. The total value of its movable and immovable assets is Tk121 crore, according to Evaly.
If all the assets are sold, the company will be able to clear only 22% of its debts. The remaining more than Tk422 crore will stand as deficit. In the balance sheet of the company submitted to the commerce ministry, Evaly has shown Tk422.62 crore, close to the deficit, as the brand value of the company.