Online Desk : A Dhaka court has fixed March 3 for hearing the testimony in a case filed against former Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha and 10 others for allegedly embezzling Tk 4 crore from the then Farmers Bank (now Padma Bank) and laundering the money abroad.
Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 on Sunday set the date.
However, the date for hearing the testimony at Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 was scheduled on Sunday. But, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) pleaded for time as none of the witnesses appeared at the court on the day. Granting the time petition, the court fixed the new date.
Recording of the testimonies of 18, out of 21 prosecution witnesses, have been completed in the case.
Testimony in the case was scheduled to be held Sunday. However, the ACC pleaded for granting time as the witness was not present in the court.
Earlier on August 13, Judge Sheikh Nazmul Alam of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 framed charges against 11 persons in the case.
Investigation Officer (IO) and ACC director Benazir Ahmed filed the charge-sheet in the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge KM Imrul Kayes on December 10, 2019.
However, Judge KM Imrul Kayes transferred the case to Dhaka Special Judge Court-4 for further proceedings on February 20, 2020.
On July 10, 2019, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case for embezzling Tk 4 crore from the then Farmers Bank and laundering the money abroad.
The other accused are former Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shameem, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Ashkari, senior executive vice-president Gazi Salahuddin, vice-president M Lutful Huque, bank’s entrepreneur director Md Mahbubul Huque Chisty alias Babul Chisty, bank clients Md Shahjahan, Niranjan Chandra Saha, his uncle Ranajit Chandra Saha, and Ranajit’s wife Santree Roy.
Of them, Farmers Bank’s entrepreneur director Md Mahbubul Huque Chisty alias Babul Chisty is now in jail, while Farmers Bank managing director AKM Shameem, first vice-presidents Swapan Kumar Roy and Shafiuddin Ashkari, senior executive vice-president Gazi Salahuddin, vice-president M Lutful Huque, bank clients Md Shahjahan and Niranjan Chandra are now on bail.
Former Chief Justice SK Sinha, first vice-president Shafiuddin Ashkari, Ranajit Chandra Saha and Ranajit’s wife Santree Roy are now absconding.
According to the allegation, Md Shahjahan and Niranjan took the money on loan from then Farmers Bank, which was later transferred to Justice Sinha’s Sonali Bank account, showing it was earned from selling of his (Sinha’s) house.
