A Dhaka tribunal yesterday framed charges against Abdul Malek, a driver of the Directorate General of Health Service (DGHS), in a case filed over possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition in September last year.

Malek, now in jail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after KM Emrul Kayesh of the Special Tribunal-1 of Dhaka read out the charges to him.

Earlier in the day, the judge rejected a petition submitted for discharging him from the case. The tribunal then set April 5 for starting the trial. The judge also rejected a bail petition submitted on behalf of the accused.

On January 10, Sub-inspector of Turag Police Station Md Rubel Sheikh, also the case's investigation officer, submitted the charge sheet against Malek to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka. It showed 11 people as prosecution witnesses.

On information that Malek was staying in Kamarpara area under Turag Police Station in Dhaka, a team of Rab conducted a drive there on September 20 last year and arrested him along with a foreign-made pistol, a magazine, five rounds of bullets, Tk 1.5 lakh fake currency, a laptop and a mobile phone. 

Malek possessed more than Tk 100 crore in wealth, Rab claimed.

Rab primarily assumed that Malek accumulated wealth by maintaining good relations with DGHS's high-ranking officials.

Later, two cases -- one for possessing arms and ammunition and the other for possessing fake currencies -- were filed against him with Turag Police Station.