Three more prosecution witnesses (PWs) on Sunday testified in a case against 11 people including former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha for allegedly embezzling Taka four crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad, reports BSS.
The witnesses are– executive officers Ataur Rahman and Rafikul Islam of Shahjalal Islami Bank Uttara Branch and manager of Padma Bank Gulshan Branch SM Sayem.
The witnesses testified at Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 and were cross-examined later. Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam then adjourned the hearing till October 25.
Ten prosecution witnesses out of total 18 have so far testified in the case.
Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on August 13 framed charges in the case.
Investigation Officer (IO) and ACC director Benjir Ahmed filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Session 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 embezzling Taka four crore from then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.
The other accused are– former Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shameem, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Askaree, senior executive vice-president Gazi Salauddin, vice-president M Lutful Haque, bank’s entrepreneur director Md Mahbubul Haque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, bank clients Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, his uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha, and Ranajit’s wife Santree 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.