Trial of GK Shamim, 7 others begins

The court has framed charges against eight persons including expelled Jubo League leader GK Shamim in a money laundering case.

Orders in this regard were passed on Tuesday by judge of the Dhaka special judge court-10 Md Nazrul Islam.

Bench assistant of the court Md Shah Alam informed Prothom Alo of the matter.

The eight, including GK Shamim, were brought to the court before the hearing. When the charges were framed, each of the accused claimed their innocence.

The other seven accused in the case are GK Shamim’s bodyguards Delwar Hossain (39), Murad Hossain (52), Zahidul Islam (41), Shahidul Islam (36), Kamal Hossain (49), Shamsad Hossain and Aminul Islam (34).

The police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 8 August submitted the charge sheet in the case against the eight persons including GK Shamim. The charge sheet stated that GK Shamim has around Tk 3.37 billion (Tk 337 crore) in fixed deposits in 180 bank accounts.

He owned two houses and around 52 kathas of land in Dhaka, worth Tk 410 million (Tk 41 crore). GK Shamim amassed a fortune by threatening people with his seven bodyguards, manipulating tenders and collecting toll from bus terminals and livestock markets.

CID officer in charge of investigating the case, Abu Sayeed, said that the court had frozen GK Shamim’s fixed deposits of around Tk 3.37 billion (Tk 336 crore 30 lakh 51 thousand 406).

The Tk 18.11 million (Tk 1 crore 81 lakh 18 thousand) and the USD 9,000 and the 752 Singapore dollars recovered at the time of his arrest have been kept in the state treasury.

His two houses and 51.83 kathas of land have been seized. On paper, these are worth Tk 409.98 million (Tk 40 crore 99 lakh 80 thousand 200).