Showkat Aziz  Russell sent to jail

A Dhaka court has sent Amber Group Chairman Showkat Aziz Russell to jail following his conviction on October 13 in a corruption case involving anomalies in plot allocations under the Purbachal Residential Project.

 

Judge Md Abdus Salam of Special Judge Court-9 passed the order on Sunday, rejecting Russell’s bail petition, ACC Public Prosecutor Khandaker Shamim Hossen told the media.

 

On October 13, the court sentenced Russell, Partex Group Managing Director Ashfaq Aziz Rubel and six former Rajuk officials to 14 years’ incarceration each in their absence.

 

It also issued conviction warrants against all eight, as none was present when the verdict was delivered.

 

According to the judgment, Russell and Rubel were each sentenced to seven years in prison and fined Tk 10 lakh for abetting criminal misconduct.

 

They were also sentenced to seven more years and fined Tk 10 lakh each for abetting criminal breach of trust.

 

The six former Rajuk officials are former Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) chairman Iqbal Uddin Choudhury and former members SD Foyej, AKM Wahedul Islam, SM Jafar Ullah, HM Jahurul Haque and Rezaul Karim Tarafdar.

 

Each of the six was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and fined Tk 10 lakh for criminal misconduct.

 

They were also sentenced to another seven years and fined Tk 10 lakh each for criminal breach of trust.

The judgment stated that each accused would have to serve an additional year in prison for every Tk 10 lakh in fines left unpaid. The sentences would run concurrently, it added.

 

Any period already spent in custody by the accused would be deducted from their respective sentences.

The court also ordered the cancellation of the plot allotments to Russell and Rubel, sons of Partex Group founder MA Hashem, and the confiscation of the plots in favour of the state.

 

According to the case documents, Russell and Rubel, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, each deposited Tk 1.5 lakh as security for a 10-katha plot.

 

After failing to secure plots in the first phase, they withdrew their deposits in December 2003, effectively cancelling their applications. They did not submit fresh applications.

 

Earlier, in June 2004, Rajuk allotted them two 10-katha plots, totalling 20 kathas, against the cancelled applications without any recommendation from the selection committee.

 

To favour the applicants, a Rajuk board meeting unlawfully decided that the plots could be allotted if they repaid their withdrawn deposits with 17 percent interest.

 

The move amounted to an abuse of power and deprived eligible applicants of their rightful opportunities, according to the case documents.