Dhaka court frames charges against contractor Shamim, mother in graft case

Golam Kibria Shamim alias GK ShamimFile Photo

A Dhaka court on Wednesday framed charges against “influential” contractor GK Shamim and his mother Ayesha Akter in graft case.

Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, framed the charges against the mother-son duo for corruption and fixed 7 November as the next date for hearing the testimonies of witnesses in the case, said Belal Hossain, a court official.

Framing of charge is vital to a criminal case as it gives the accused precisely what the prosecution intends to prove against them.

Shamim and his mother have been charged with graft for amassing assets—worth over Tk 2.98 billion—by corrupt means, the court official said.

Earlier, on 22 December, 2020, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) approved the chargesheet against Shamim and his mother in the graft case.

He was arrested with illegal firearms and a huge amount of money from his Niketan office on 20 September, 2019, during a drive against illegal casinos and other businesses.

Seven of his bodyguards were also arrested during the raid.

RAB members seized Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs) worth Tk 1.65 billion, Tk 18.1 million in cash and a huge amount of foreign currencies.

A foreign-made pistol, seven shotguns and a huge cache of bullets were also seized from the office of ‘GKB & Company Pvt Limited’.

The elite force lodged three complaints – one under the narcotics control act, another under the money-laundering prevention act, and the third under the arms acts – against Shamim with Gulshan police the next day.