7 accused plead not guilty in graft case against Ex CJ Sinha

PBC News:  Seven accused in a graft case against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar (SK) Sinha and 10 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 4 crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad, pleaded not guilty.

The accused during submitting the statements in self-defence, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice from the court. They also pleaded to allow them to submit written statements. Allowing their pleas, Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 set September 6 for submitting their statements in writing.

The seven accused are former chairman of then Farmer’s Bank’s Audit Committee Md Mahbubul Huque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, former managing director AKM Shameem, first vice-president Swapan Kumar Roy, vice-president M Lutful Huque, senior executive vice-president Gazi Salauddin, bank clients Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha.

Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on August 13, 2020, framed charges in the case.

ACC director Benzir Ahmed had filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Qayes on December 10, 2019.

The court, however, on February 20, 2020, transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case on July 10, 2019, for allegedly embezzling Tk 4 crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.

The other accused are AKM Shameem, Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Askaree, Gazi Salauddin, M Lutful Haque, Md Mahbubul Huque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, 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.