The High Court yesterday released the full text of its verdict sentencing BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to seven years’ imprisonment and fining him Tk 20 crore in a money-laundering case after scrapping his acquittal, reports UNB. The 82-page verdict was posted on the Supreme Court website after the judges concerned signed it. On July 21 last, the High Court sentenced Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, to seven years’ imprisonment and fined him Tk 20 crore after scrapping his acquittal in the case.
An HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain delivered the judgment on a petition filed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) against a lower court verdict that acquitted Tarique in the case. It had also asked the lower court to issue a warrant for the arrest of Tarique who is now in London.
The bench had upheld the trial court verdict that had sentenced Tarique's friend and business partner Giasuddin Al Mamun to seven years’ imprisonment in the same case. However, it commuted his fine
of Tk 40 crore to Tk 20 crore.
ACC lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said the trial court will issue a warrant for the arrest of Tarique Rahman after it receives the HC full verdict. “The government will take steps to bring back him (Tarique) through legal means after the issuance of arrest warrant,” he said.
Khurshid also said the High Court ordered filing a proceeding draw (case) against four others -- Hosaf Group chairman M Moazzem Hossain, Nirman Construction chairman Khadiza Islam, Mayer Cie-Re and Marina Jaman -- on charge of money laundering as it found their involvement in siphoning off money.
In 2009, the anti-graft watchdog filed the case against Tarique and Giasuddin Al Mamun for illegally sending Tk 20.41 crore to Singapore between 2003 and 2007.
On November 17, 2013, a Dhaka court acquitted Tarique and sentenced Mamun to seven years in jail and fined him Tk 40 crore. On December 5 that year, the ACC appealed to the HC challenging Tarique’s acquittal in the politically sensitive case. Following the appeal, the HC on January 19, 2014 asked the lower court to send the case records to it and ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court.