Ex-army chief Harun-ur-Rashid found guilty
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday approved two charge sheets against a total of 51 top executives of controversial multi-level marketing company Destiny Group over their alleged involvement in laundering around Tk 4,118 crore. The commission investigation officers Mozhar Ali Sarder and Taufiquel Islam would submit the charge sheets before a Dhaka court within a short time, ACC commissioner M Shahabuddin told reporters at his office.
According to the probe reports, Destiny Group president M Harun-ur-Rashid, a former army chief, managing director Mohammad Rafiqul Amin and 17 others of the group embezzled around Tk 2,257 crore.
The reports say that accused Harun and Rafiqul in association with the others embezzled the money by selling over six crore trees to 17.5 lakh customers.
The other accused include Farah Deeba, wife of Mohammad Rafiqul Amin, Mohammad Hossain, Md Gofranul Haque, Mohammad Saidur Rahman, Mohammad Mezbah Uddin, Syed Sajjad Hossain, Irfan Ahmed Sani, Jamshed Ara Chowdhury, Sheikh Tayebur Rahman, Nepal Chandra Biswas, Jasimuddin Bhuiyan, Zakir Hossain, SM Ahasanul Kabir, Zubair Sohel, Mosaddek Ali Khan, Abdul Manan and Abul Kalam Azad.
According to the probe reports, Harun, Rafiqul Amin and 44 others embezzled around Tk 1,861 crore.
The other accused in the case include Farah Deeba, Mohammad Hossain, Md Gofranul Haque, Mohammad Saidur Rahman, Mohammad Mezbah Uddin, Syed Sajjad Hossain, Irfan Ahmed Sani, Jamshed Ara Chowdhury, Sheikh Tayebur Rahman, Nepal Chandra Biswas, Zakir Hossain, Abul Kalam Azad, SM Ahasanul Kabir, Azad Rahman, M Akbar Hossain Sumon, Saidul Islam Khan, M Sumon Ali Khan, Shirin Akter, Rafiqul Islam Sarkar, Mojibur Rahman, Didarul Alam, M Haideruzzman, Mohammad Joynul Abidin, Kazi Fazlul Karim, Mollah Al-Amin, Safiul Islam, Ziaul Haque Molla, Sikder Kabirul Islam, M Firoz Alam, Omar Faruk, Sunil Baran Karmakar, Farid Akter, S Shahiduzzman, Abdur Rahman Tapan, Sakibuzzman Khan, AHM Atiur Rahman Reza, Ghulam Kibria Milton, Atiqur Rahman, Khandakar Benazir Ahmed, AKM Safiullah, Shah Alam, Delowar Hossain, Jesmin Akter and M Safiqul Haque.
The commission on July 31, 2012, filed two cases against 22 executives of Destiny 2000 Ltd with Kalabagan police accusing them of embezzling around Tk 3,285 crore.
After filing the cases, the commission arrested a total of eight accused including Harun-ur-Rashid and Rafiqul Amin. Later, Harun-ur-Rashid got bail from the high court.
The group directors Mohammad Hossain, Didarul Alam and Ziaul Haque Mollah are now in jail along with managing director Rafiqul Amin.
The three other directors Akbar Hossain Sumon, Safiul Islam and Shirin Akter fled after getting bail from a lower court, while the high court cancelled their bail orders.
According to the probe reports a lion’s share of the laundered money was sent to USA, Canada, Singapore, France and Hong Kong as commission and dividend earned from export of products, salary, honorarium and incentives.
If found guilty of flouting the money laundering law the accused persons could be sentenced to a maximum of 12 years’ jail besides refunding double the amount to the victims of the alleged fraud through the government.
Courtesy of New Age
