The High Court (HC) has asked the two businessmen, who were acquitted of a money laundering case in which former Chief Justice S K Sinha was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment, to surrender to the trial court immediately.
The two acquitted businessmen are Mohammad Shahajahan and Niranjan Chandra Saha.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the order after hearing a petition on Wednesday (December 22).
The court also wanted to know as to why the acquittal of the two should not be revoked. The higher court, however, ordered the trial court concerned to grant bail to Shahjahan and Niranjan after their surrender.
The Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) on December 20 filed the petition challenging the lower court’s verdict that acquitted Shahajahan and Niranjan in the graft case. Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan represented the ACC in the higher court.
On November 9, a Dhaka court sentenced former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha to 11 years’ imprisonment in the case. The court also fined SK Sinha Tk 45 lakh, in default, to suffer six months more rigorous imprisonment.
The trial court also ordered the authorities concerned to confiscate Tk 78 lakh from his bank account.
The court also sentenced eight other accused to different jail terms while acquitted two others -- Shahjahan and Niranjan --as allegations brought against them were not proved.
Former managing director of Farmers Bank AKM Shamim got four years’ jail with a fine of Tk 50,000 while Santri Roy Simi and Ranjit Chandra Saha were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each with a fine of Tk 10,000.
The remaining four accused -- Gazi Salahuddin, senior executive vice president and former head of credit division of the bank, Swapan Kumar Roy, first vice president (Credit division), Shafiuddin Askari Ahmed and vice president Md Lutful Haque -- were sentenced to three years’ imprisonment each and fined Tk 25,000 each.
On July 10 in 2019, the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case accusing former chief justice SK Sinha and 10 others of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering Tk 4 crore.
On December 10 in 2019, the investigation officer of the case submitted the charge sheet against the 11 accused persons. On August 13 in 2020, the court framed charges against the 11, including Sinha.
