The Daily Star
Former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and eight others to different terms of jail sentence today in a case filed over Tk 4 crore money laundering.
Judge Shaikh Nazmul Alam of Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka passed the verdict — seven years for laundering money and four for breach of trust.
However, the court said the punishment will run concurrently.
The court also fined Sinha Tk 45 lakh and asked to confiscate Tk 78 lakh from him in favour of the state.
Former managing director of Farmers Bank, AKM Shamim, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and fined Tk 50,000.
The court pronounced three years’ jail sentence to four other bank officials — former senior executive vice president Gazi Salauddin, first vice presidents Swapon Kumar Ray and Shafiuddin Askary and vice president Md Lutful Haque — and fined each Tk 25,000, in default of which they will have to suffer three months more in jail.
It also awarded three years’ jail sentence to former chairman of the bank’s audit committee Mahbubul Haque Chisty and fined him Tk 10,000, in default of which he will have to serve three months more in jail.
Ranjit Chandra Saha and his wife Shanti Roy also received three years’ imprisonment and were fined Tk 10,000 each, in default of which they will serve three months more in jail.
Businessman Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha were acquitted of the charges as allegation brought against them were not proven
During the verdict, the judge said, “SK Sinha is the principal beneficiary of the laundered money.”
Among the convicts, Shamim, Salahuddin, Swapan, Lutful, Shahjahan and Niranjan are now on bail, while Mahbubul is now behind bars.
Four accused — SK Sinha, Shafiuddin, Ranjit and Santri — have been absconding since the graft case was filed.
During the closing arguments on September 14, the prosecution told the court that they were able to prove the charges against the accused and sought the highest punishment for them.
However, the defence sought acquittal of their clients, saying that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the accused.
A total of 21 prosecution witnesses gave their deposition in the case before the court, said the state lawyer.
In October 2018, the Anti-Corruption Commission said it found evidence of fraud involving transactions of Tk 4 crore borrowed with fake documents by two businessmen — Shahjahan and Niranjan — from the Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank). Later, the money was deposited in SK Sinha’s account.
On July 10 of 2019, ACC Director Syed Iqbal Hossain filed the graft case with its Integrated District Office-1 of Dhaka in this regard.
On December 8 that year, Investigation Officer Md Benjir Ahammad, also ACC Director, pressed charges against SK Sinha and 10 others in the case.
The court framed charges against them on August 13 last year.
Justice Sinha resigned on November 11, 2017, from abroad. He is now in the US.
