Destiny MD holds Zoom meeting from jail, 8 jail guards closed
Managing director of controversial Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) company, Destiny 2000 Ltd., Rafiqul Amin reportedly held an online meeting on Zoom from his prison cell at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital.
Eight jail guards including chief jail guard Abdus Salam, who were deployed at Rafiqul Islam’s prison cell, were closed, said Dhaka central jail’s senior jail super Subhash Kumar Ghosh to Prothom Alo on Thursday night.
The prison authorities said a deputy jailer will be given round-the-clock charge of the prison cell.
A video of Rafiqul Amin taking part in a Zoom meeting went viral on social media. Different media also ran reports on the incident on Thursday. Following this the jail authorities decided to withdraw the jail guards.
Rafiqul Amin was admitted to BSMMU around two months ago when he complained about suffering from diabetes.
The prisons department has formed a three-member committee headed by DIG-prisons of Dhaka division, Touhidul Islam to investigate into the incident. The committee was asked to submit its report by seven days.
IG-Prisons Brigadier General Mominur Rahman said punitive action would be taken against those involved with the incident.
Rafiqul Amin was seen taking part in the Zoom meeting that ran for over one hour under the name “R” in the video and giving directions about a business initiative.
Speaking to Prothom Alo on Thursday afternoon, BSMMU proctor Habibur Rahman said they will constitute a committee on Saturday to investigate the matter.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan told Prothom Alo, “We’ve come to know about the matter. If there was really any Zoom meeting in the jail, that would be another crime. Those who helped Rafiqul Amin in the task have committed a crime.”
The Anti-Corruption Commission on 31 July 2012 filed two money laundering cases against Destiny 2000 Limited chairman Lt. General (retd) M Harunur Rashid and managing director Rafiqul Amin and 20 others on charge of misappropriating investors’ money amounting to Tk 32.85 billion (3,285 crore).
Gen. Harun was later granted bail.
ACC deputy director Mozahar Ali Sarder filed one case with Kalabagan police station in the capital against 12 officials of Destiny 2000 Limited, including its chairman and managing director for allegedly misappropriating over Tk 21.06 billion (2,106 crore) from the Destiny Tree Plantation Limited (DTPL).
ACC assistant director Toufiqul Islam filed another case with the same police station against 22 Destiny officials under the same act for alleged embezzlement of Tk 11.78 billion (1,178 crore) from the Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (DMCSL).
According to the investigation report, nearly Tk 41.19 billion (4,119 crore) of investors’ money was swindled from the two projects of Destiny Group.
The report says the Destiny officials collected over Tk 24.55 billion (2455.15 crore) from its about 1.75 million (17.5 lakh) investors by selling trees in different package under the Destiny Tree Plantation Limited (DTPL).
During field visits to the Tree Plantation projects, the ACC investigation team found only 3.25 million (32.5 lakh) trees worth about 220 million (22 crore).
The illegal earnings of over Tk 24.33 billion (2,433 crore) was laundered abroad in the name of importing MLM products, and their personal accounts.
The report also says that the Destiny officials collected Tk 19.35 billion (1935.5 crore) from its 850,000 investors under the Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Limited (DMCSL) violating cooperative laws and rules.
The officials transferred over Tk 18.61 billion (1,861 crore) to sister concerns of the Destiny Group and their bank accounts from the project for their illegal gains.
Of over Tk 18.61 billion (1,861 crore) of laundered money, about Tk 440 million (44 crore) was transferred to the Best Aviation Limited, Destiny Agro Industries Limited and Destiny Air System Limited, the report said.