Ex-CJ Sinha, 10 others indicted in graft case

A Dhaka court today framed charges against 11 people, including former chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, in a case lodged over embezzling Taka 40 million from then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad, reports BSS.

Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 framed the charges, court clerk Belal Hossain told BSS.

During the order, three accused Gazi Salauddin, AKM Shamim, and Md
Mahbubul Haque Chisty were present before the court.

Of the three, first two were on bail and appeared before the court for
today’s hearing, while Chishti was in jail and produced by the police.

Investigation officer (IO) and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) director Benjir Ahmed filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka
metropolitan session judge KM Imrul Qayes on 10 December, 2019.

The court, however, on 20 February, 2020, transferred the case to Dhaka
Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings.

The anti-graft body filed the case on 10 July, 2019, for embezzling Taka
40 million 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.