Graft case: Verdict against former CJ Sinha Oct 5

PBC News:  The verdict in a graft case against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar (SK) Sinha and 10 others will be delivered on October 5.

Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Special Judge Court fixed the date after hearing the closing arguments from both sides on Tuesday.

The graft case was filed for allegedly embezzling Tk 4 crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.

Earlier on August 29, seven accused in the case pleaded not guilty before the same court.

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.

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.

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.

According to the ACC sources, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on loan from then Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to Justice SK Sinha’s Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from selling of his (Sinha’s) house.

Later, 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.