A Dhaka court yesterday issued arrest warrants against former post and telecommunications minister barrister Aminul Haque and former environment secretary Ismail Zabiullah and his wife Ayesha Zabiullah in cases filed for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in their wealth statements.
Meanwhile detained former BNP lawmaker MAH Salim alias Silver Salim confessed to a magistrate yesterday that his family members did not abet him in acquiring all the assets shown in the graft case against them.
Another Dhaka court allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to freeze 11,500 shares of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Ward Commissioner Mirza Ekramul Haque alias Mirza Khokon and his wife Masuda Ekram kept with two companies in the city.
CASE AGAINST AMINUL
After scrutinising the case dockets and other relevant documents, Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order against Aminul Haque for committing the offences.
The order for arrest warrant came following a plea submitted by the investigation officer (IO), as Aminul has been absconding since the case was filed.
ACC Assistant Director Syed Ahmed, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court on April 9, showing 12 people as prosecution witnesses.
The ACC filed the case with Ramna Model Police Station against Aminul Haque on December 5 last year for amassing wealth illegally and giving false information in his wealth statement.
The commission in its primary investigation found that Aminul amassed wealth worth Tk 76.75 lakh beyond his known sources of income.
CASE AGAINST ZABIULLAH
The same court yesterday issued arrest warrants against Ismail Zabullah and his wife in the case filed against them for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in the wealth statement.
The court issued warrants against the couple, as they have been absconding since the filing of the case.
The investigation officer of ACC Deputy Assistant Director AFM Zahid Hossain submitted the charge sheet against Zabiullah and his wife to the CMM's Court on April 10, showing 23 people as prosecution witnesses.
ACC Assistant Director Helal Uddin Sharif filed the case against them with Ramna Police Station on November 5 last year for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in the wealth statement.
In the first information report (FIR), the complainant said Ismail accumulated Tk 1.30 crore beyond his known sources of income. He also concealed information about his wealth worth Tk 1.17 crore in the wealth statement.
His wife Ayesha Zabiullah has been accused of abetting her husband.
CASE AGAINST SALIM
Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Al-Mamun recorded MAH Salim's statement after ACC Assistant Director Shamsul Alam, also the IO of the case, produced Salim at his chamber.
In his statement, Salim told the magistrate that his family members were not involved in acquiring the assets showed by the ACC in the case filed against them.
ACC Assistant Director Ali Akbar filed the case with Ramna police against the family on December 6 last year.
In the FIR, the complainant said Salim concealed information about a wealth of Tk 62.96 crore and other property worth Tk 12.38 crore in the wealth statement submitted to the ACC.
Salim's wife Amena Begum, daughter Sahara Selim, and sons Mehedi Hassan and Samith Hassan were accused in the case.
Earlier on March 27, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani allowed the ACC to freeze the bank accounts of Salim and his family members following a petition submitted by the IO.
CASE AGAINST MIRZA KHOKON
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani passed the order after ACC Assistant Director SM Sahidur Rahman, alos the IO of the case, submitted a petition for freezing the shares of the couple deposited at an advertising limited company and a housing limited company in the city.
The case was filed against them on December 10 last year with Motijheel police in connection with amassing wealth through illegal means.