BNP's senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman has been accquited in a money laundering case. But his close business associate Giasuddin-Al-Mamun has been sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Tk 400 million for complicity in the money laundering case. Md Motahar Hossain of the Special Judges' Court-3 pronounced the verdict on Sunday. BNP's senior vice-chairman Tarique Rahman was not present as he has been living in London since 2008 after securing a bail from the Supreme Court.
The trial of Tarique and Mamun had begun on July 6, 2010, after the ACC filed a charge-sheet against them at the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.
The ACC had lodged the case with the Dhaka Cantonment Police Station on Oct 26, 2009, accusing them of siphoning off Tk 204.1 million to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
On Aug 8 last year, the court indicted Tarique and Mamun under the Money Laundering Act 2002, issuing an arrest warrant against Tarique.
According to the case details, Mamun took Tk 204.1 million as bribes from Khadiza Islam, Director of Nirman Construction Ltd, promising the contract of building an 80MW power plant at Tongi.Mamun allegedly deposited the money in the Capital Street Branch of Singapore’s City Bank, from where Tarique withdrew Tk 30.78 million.
A Dhaka court in May this year had ordered Tarique’s arrest with Interpol help.Several cases were lodged and Tarique was arrested on Mar 7, 2007, during the state of emergency.In September next year, after securing a bail from the Supreme Court, Tarique went to the UK citing medical reasons.He has been in London ever since, even attending some BNP events in the city in recent weeks. Mamun was brought to the court room from the prison around 9.30am amid tight security. Mamun, wearing an off-white cotton shirt was sitting with his eyes closed.
No comments:
Post a Comment