Arafat Rahman Coco, the youngest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, has been convicted of money laundering and jailed for six years and fined Tk 190.41 million.
Published : 23 Jun 2011, 06:28 AM
Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain of Dhaka's Third Special Judge's Court on Thursday also pronounced the same punishment for the co-accused in the case Ismail Hossain Simon, son of former BNP shipping minister late Akbar Hossain.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case against Coco and Simon for laundering SGD 2,884,000 and USD 932,000 to Singapore.
The judge also asked the government to chase the laundered money and deposit it to the Bangladesh Bank.
None of the convicts was present in the dock as the court handed down the judgement in one of around a dozen of cases filed during the military-controlled caretaker government against Khaleda and her two sons — Tarique Rahman and Coco.
Coco, arrested on Sep 3, 2007 in the GATCO corruption case, has been in Bangkok for treatment on parole since July 19, 2008, while Simon is still at large.
The government on Aug 19 last year cancelled Coco's parole and asked him to return home by Aug 31 and surrender before the court.
Pro-BNP lawyers staged demonstrations as soon as the judge had handed down the verdict amid heightened security around the court compound.
Awami League-backed lawyers took out processions, hailing the verdict.
The pro-BNP lawyers brought out a procession and chanted slogans that the verdict was 'biased' and 'motivated'. They also vowed not to accept the judgement.
BNP earlier alleged that the verdict in the case was being given hastily with a clandestine motive. The main opposition also said the prime minister's order to fast-track money-laundering cases had a link with the 'hasty judgement'.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina at a cabinet meeting on Apr 11 this year ordered officials to fast-track settlement of money-laundering cases pending with the courts. Coco's elder brother Tarique Rahman is also facing a money laundering case.
Kotwali Police Station's inspector Sairul Islam told bdnews24.com about 200 additional police personnel had been deployed on the court compound for the judgement.
The judge on Sunday fixed Thursday for the delivery of judgement in the case.
The first charge-sheet in the case against Coco and Simon was framed on Nov 30 last year.
During the indictment, the court on Nov 30 issued a warrant for arrest against the accused as they failed to appear before it within the specified time.
Recording of testimonies in the case against Coco started on Jan 4 this year and continued up to June 15.
The court on June 6 framed fresh charges against Coco and Simon under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2002 to avoid legal complications as they were indicted for activities which occurred before 2009.
The same court on Nov 30 last year indicted Coco for money laundering under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2009.
ACC assistant director Abu Syed filed the case against Coco and Simon with the Kafrul Police Station in the city on Mar 17, 2009. It alleged that the accused had laundered to Singapore SGD 2,884,000 and USD 932,000, which they had received from China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd and Siemens AG for helping them bag government contracts.
China Harbour got a Tk 3.51 billion contract to set up New Mooring Container Terminal and Siemens a Tk 2.39 billion deal to supply and install equipment for Teletalk, the state-owned cell phone operator.
On Nov 12 last year, Syed pressed charges in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court, Dhaka, showing 23 people as prosecution witnesses.
Coco's counsel Taherul Islam earlier told bdnews24.com the court had recorded testimonies of the 21 witnesses within a short time. "The witnesses have not been cross-examined as the accused were shown fugitives in the court document.
"So the verdict may be biased."
He also said that Coco has five more cases against him.
However, a tax evasion case filed against Coco by the National Board of Revenue is being heard by Dhaka's senior special judge's court.
The charges against the accused in the case will be framed on June 26.