The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) yesterday pressed charges against former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Kazi Zafarullah in connection with cases filed for amassing wealth worth Tk 15.23 crore illegally and concealing information of wealth Tk 7 crore.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court rejected a bail petition of detained lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu in connection with the killing of his employee Fakaruddin Ahmed Sohel in April 2004.
ZAFARULLAH CASES
ACC Deputy Assistant Director Abul Kashem, also the investigation officer (IO) of the cases, submitted the charge sheets to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court of Dhaka showing 34 people as prosecution witnesses in each case.
The IO appealed to the court for issuance of an arrest warrant against Zafarullah and the order to attach his properties, as he has been absconding since the cases were filed against him.
GRAFT CASE
The IO dropped Zafarullah's wife Nilufar Zafarullah's name from the charge sheet as her involvement in assisting her husband acquire wealth through illegal means was not proved.
In the charge sheet, the IO mentioned that Zafarullah amassed wealth worth Tk 15.23 crore through illegal means.
On June 8 this year, the ACC filed the graft case with Gulshan Police Station against Zafar and his wife Nilufar on charges of acquiring wealth worth Tk 19.02 crore through illegal means.
MONEY LAUNDERING CASE
The same IO pressed charges against Zafarullah in connection with another case filed for withdrawing Tk 7.00 crore from his bank accounts and concealing this money.
In the charge sheet, the IO mentioned that Zafarullah had withdrawn Tk 4.30 crore and Tk 2.00 crore from Premier Bank Ltd at Banani branch and First Security bank Ltd at Gulshan branch between January 16 and 17 of 2006 and concealed all information regarding this money.
The accused also transferred Tk 70 lakh to his sister Sabiha Mahbub and her son Abdullah Emran Yusuf's accounts.
On June 12 this year, the ACC filed the case with Gulshan Police Station against Zafarullah for committing the offences.
Kazi Zafarullh was earlier arrested in connection with a case filed under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) and later was shown arrested in an extortion case as well. He went into hiding after getting bail from the High Court.
He was also sued for not submitting wealth statement to the commission and was given three years' imprisonment for committing the offences.
CASE AGAINST PINTU
Judge Mohammad Ishtiaque Hussain of the District and Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka passed the order after Pintu's lawyers submitted a criminal appeal against the rejection order of the lower court on September 23.
On September 19 this year, Fakaruddin Ahmed Sohel's wife Minara Akhter of Munshihathi of Kamrangirchar area filed the case against Pintu and five of his accomplices with Keraniganj Model Police Station for committing the offence.
Other accused are Pintu's accomplices Jubo Dal leader Shaju, 25, Zahiruddin, 32, Gaffar, 35, Naim, 35, and Delwar, 36.
According to the case statement, the complainant mentioned that Pintu, the prime accused in the case, had appointed her husband Sohel on January 1, 2004 as an employee to collect rents of his (Pintu's) dredgers. Pintu's accomplices snatched Tk six lakh away from her husband which had been collected from dredgers on April 13 the same year.
But Pintu accused her husband of stealing this money and had him picked up by his accomplices. Later Sohel's body was found floating on the Buriganga River on April 16.
Victim's wife could not file a case against Pintu and his accomplices at the time fearing the safety of her own life, the complainant added.
Pintu was sent to jail on February 12 last year after he surrendered to the CMM Court of Dhaka in connection with an attempted murder case.