IO’s testimony in graft case against SK Sinha ends
PBC News: Testimony of investigation officer (IO) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Benjir Ahmed ended on Thursday in a case filed against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 4 crore loans from the then Farmers Bank, now Padma Bank, and laundering the money abroad.
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Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 adjourned the hearing till April 20 as the defence failed to conclude the cross examination of the IO on Thursday.
Twenty, out of the total 21 witnesses, have so far testified in the case.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on August 13 framed charges in the case against 13 including SK Sinha. Investigation Officer (IO) and ACC director Benjir Ahmed filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayes on December 10, 2019. Earlier on December 4, the ACC in a meeting endorsed the chargesheet against 11 accused.
The court, however, on February 20 in 2020, transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings. The ACC filed the case on July 10, 2019, for embezzling Tk 4 crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.
The other accused are former Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shamim, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Askari, senior executive vice-president Gazi Salahuddin, vice-president M Lutful Huque, bank’s entrepreneur director Md Mahbubul Huque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, bank clients Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, his uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha, and Ranajit’s wife Shanti Roy.
According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on loan from then Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to Justice Sinha’s Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from selling of his (Sinha’s) house.
Among the accused of the case, Md Mahbubul Huque Chisty alias Babul Chisty is now in jail, while Farmers Bank former MD AKM Shamim, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy, vice-president M Lutful Huque, former SEVP Gazi Salahuddin, Tangail’s residents Md Shahjahan, and Niranjan Chandra Saha are now on bail.
On the other hand, former Chief Justice SK Sinha, Farmers Bank’s first vice president Shafiuddin Askari, Ranajit Chandra Saha, and Ranajit’s wife Shanti Roy have been absconding.
The name of an accused was dropped from the chargesheet as he was proved dead, while the name of another person was included in it afresh.
