MP Badi jailed for 3 years

AL lawmaker also fined Tk 10 lakh for hiding wealth information

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced the Awami League lawmaker from Cox’s Bazar, Abdur Rahman Badi, to three years in jail and fined Tk 10 lakh for hiding information about his wealth from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Badi would have to serve another three months in jail if he failed to pay the fine.
Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the special judge’s court delivered the verdict in Badi’s presence. This is the first time a lawmaker in power has been punished for graft.
The court acquitted Badi of the charge of amassing wealth illegally. But it found him guilty of the charge of concealing information about property worth Tk. 3.99 crore in his wealth statement.
ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain told reporters that the allegation of gaining wealth beyond the known source of income brought against Badi had been proved. Thirteen witnesses deposed in court.
Badi broke into tears soon after the verdict. Later, he was taken to the prison. His lawyer Mahbuba Ahmed told reporters that the lawmaker would challenge the judgment in the High Court (HC).
The ACC filed a case at Ramna police station in Dhaka on August 21, 2014, accusing the legislator from Cox’s Bazar-4 constituency of amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement.
It alleged that Badi had provided false information in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission in 2008 and 2013, and had concealed information about his personal wealth worth Tk. 10.87 crore.
Badi was arrested and put in jail for three weeks in October 2014. He later secured bail from the High Court.

On May 7 last year, the ACC’s investigating officer, deputy director Manjil Morshed, submitted the charge-sheet against Badi in the court. The charge-sheet said Badi had accumulated more than Tk. 6.3 crore disproportionate to the known sources of his income, and that he had concealed information from the ACC about assets worth more than Tk. 3.9 crore.
On September 8 last year, the court framed charges against Badi and started the trial on October 6. 
The MP, honoured for being the highest taxpayer in Cox’s Bazar in 2014, was also named in a Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) list of suspected methamphetamine-based Yaba tablet trade ringleaders.
Badi was named in the list of Yaba smugglers prepared by the home ministry, too. His three brothers, brothers-in-law and other relatives were also on the list. A government investigation last year revealed that Badi controlled the principal point of trans-border entry of the contraband. The DNC report said he controlled the route and many others work under him in the illegal drug trade.

MP Badi jailed for 3 years

AL lawmaker also fined Tk 10 lakh for hiding wealth information

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced the Awami League lawmaker from Coxs Bazar, Abdur Rahman Badi, to three years in jail and fined Tk 10 lakh for hiding information about his wealth from the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Badi would have to serve another three months in jail if he failed to pay the fine. Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar of the special judges court delivered the verdict in Badis presence. This is the first time a lawmaker in power has been punished for graft. The court acquitted Badi of the charge of amassing wealth illegally. But it found him guilty of the charge of concealing information about property worth Tk. 3.99 crore in his wealth statement. ACC lawyer Mahmud Hossain told reporters that the allegation of gaining wealth beyond the known source of income brought against Badi had been proved. Thirteen witnesses deposed in court. Badi broke into tears soon after the verdict. Later, he was taken to the prison. His lawyer Mahbuba Ahmed told reporters that the lawmaker would challenge the judgment in the High Court (HC). The ACC filed a case at Ramna police station in Dhaka on August 21, 2014, accusing the legislator from Coxs Bazar-4 constituency of amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement. It alleged that Badi had provided false information in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission in 2008 and 2013, and had concealed information about his personal wealth worth Tk. 10.87 crore. Badi was arrested and put in jail for three weeks in October 2014. He later secured bailfrom the High Court. On May 7 last year, the ACCs investigating officer, deputy director Manjil Morshed, submitted the charge-sheet against Badi in the court. The charge-sheet said Badi had accumulated more than Tk. 6.3 crore disproportionate to the known sources of his income, and that he had concealed information from the ACC about assets worth more than Tk. 3.9 crore. On September 8 last year, the court framed charges against Badi and started the trial on October 6. The MP, honoured for being the highest taxpayer in Coxs Bazar in 2014, was also named in a Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) list of suspected methamphetamine-based Yaba tablet trade ringleaders. Badi was named in the list of Yaba smugglers prepared by the home ministry, too. His three brothers, brothers-in-law and other relatives were also on the list. A government investigation last year revealed that Badi controlled the principal point of trans-border entry of the contraband. The DNC report said he controlled the route and many others work under him in the illegal drug trade.