A court in Chattogram has sentenced a person to five-year imprisonment for laundering money, in a case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Chattogram Divisional Special Judge Munshi Abdul Majid gave the verdict on Sunday in absence of the convict Md Liakat Ali, who is the proprietor of Madina Shobji Bitan and Ma Electronics in Cox’s Bazar.
The court also fined Liakat Tk 9 crore. In default, he will have to serve one more year in jail, Public Prosecutor Kazi Sanwar Ahmed said, adding that the court has found evidence of concealing the source of income through crimes and laundering over Tk 8.89 crore.
Liakat hails from SM Charkakra area in Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar.
The ACC filed the case against Liakat and Md Mozammel Alam Chowdhury, former manager of the First Security Islami Bank’s Chakaria branch, with Chakaria police station on September 30, 2013.
On February 24, 2016, a charge sheet was submitted against Liakat before the court, seeking the exemption of the bank official from the charges.
According to the charge sheet, Liakat opened an account at the bank’s Chakaria branch in favour of his two business institutions — Madina Shobji Bitan and Ma Electronics — on February 7, 2011.
He deposited Tk 9.20 crore and withdrew Tk 9.19 crore in this account from March 8, 2011, to March 19, 2013.
The ACC initiated a probe after Mujibul Haq, manager of the two business institutions, was arrested by Chakaria police on March 23, 2012, on charges of carrying a huge amount of money through hundi.
On March 14, 2017, the court framed charges against Liakat.
