Money laundering: Tarique jailed for 7 yrs scrapping acquittal

The High Court on Thursday sentenced BNP Senior Vice-chairman Tarique Rahman to seven years’ jail and fined him Tk 20 crore scrapping his acquittal in a money laundering case. The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Tarique Rahman who has remained abroad for long. 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. The bench also 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. On July 20, the bench fixed today for the delivery of the judgment on the appeals against Tarique’s acquittal and Mamun’s imprisonment. Earlier on June 16, the bench kept pending its verdicts to be delivered any day after concluding hearing of the appeals. In 2009, the anti-graft watchdog filed the case against Tarique, elder son of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, and Giasuddin Al Mamun for illegally sending Tk20.41 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 Tk40 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 in 2014 asked the lower court to send the case records to it and ordered Tarique to surrender before the trial court. — Dhaka, Jul 21 (UNB)