The court also sentenced two officials of Abul Khair Group, importer of the wheat, to one-year in jail for paying the bribe and confiscated the bribed money.

The court fined the policemen Tk 1 lakh and the Abul Khair Group officials Tk 10,000 each. Failing to pay the fine, the police officers will have to serve one-year jail term while the Abul Khair Group officials one month each.

Judge Shamsunnahar of the special court-4 delivered the verdict as the police officers were found guilty under the Anti-corruption Act 1947.

The convicted cops are officer-in-charge of Fatullah Police Station Ashraf Ul Islam, sub inspectors Enamul Haque and SM Miraj Al Mahmud.

The convicted Abul Khair Group officials are Assistant General Manager of Shah Cement Industries Ltd Mustafizur Rahman and Assistant Manager (human resource) Zakir Hossain.

The defence lawyers confirmed that they would appeal against the verdict.

According to the charge sheet submitted by ACC, magistrates Manzarul Mannan of Narayanganj and Jasim Uddin seized rotten wheat worth over Tk 19 crore imported by Smile Food Products Ltd of Abul Khair Group on January 29 this year.

Police filed a case in this connection on January 31 under Special Powers Act, 1974. But the name of Abul Khair Group Chairman Abu Sayeed Chowdhury was dropped from the charge sheet and the convicted police officers demanded Tk 50 lakh as bribe for this.

Several hours after the seizure, SI Miraj went to the Shah Cement factory of Abul Khair Group at Muktarpur and made a settlement with the two officials of the group. Rapid Action Battalion caught them red-handed while taking bribe.

Later, Deputy Assistant Director of Rab-11 Abu Sadek filed a case against the arrestees on February 5 with Fatulla Police Station. The ACC submitted charge sheet on May 15.