Graft, Money Laundering: People’s help needed to eradicate them

A High Court bench yesterday observed that it is not possible to eradicate corruption and money laundering without cooperation from all.

"We all must work with patriotism and honesty for the development of the country," the bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Mohi Uddin Shamim said while hearing a petition and four appeals seeking bail in five corruption cases.

One of the cases was filed over the misappropriation of Tk 13 lakh from the lease of six Kheya Ghats (boat stations) in Satkhira for the last 10 years.

The HC bench on February 9 found that higher officials of Satkhira Zila Parishad were not implicated in the case, which was lodged with the Anti-Corruption Commission's Khulna office on January 27 against 12 people, including Chief Assistant of the Parishad Khalilur Rahman and Assistant SM Nazmul Hossain.

Khalilur and Nazmul filed a petition with the HC, seeking anticipatory bail. They also appeared before the bench on February 9 and yesterday.

Yesterday, the HC bench expressed astonishment saying that there was no accounts and accountability in the office concerned in Satkhira about the lease money collected from the Kheya Ghats and asked how lower-level officials could embezzle money, keeping their superiors in the dark.

ACC Deputy Director in Khulna Md Nazmul Hasan and Chief Executive Officer of Satkhira Zila Parishad Ahsan Habib appeared before the HC bench yesterday in line with its February 9 summons order.

The HC yesterday exonerated them from personal appearance before it and ordered them to submit their explanations about the embezzlement of the lease money collected from six Kheya Ghats from their office through swearing affidavits to the court on February 24.

The four appeals, heard by the bench, were filed by Joy Gopal Sarkar, general secretary of Dhaka Wanderers Club, which was allegedly linked with the casino business, in connection with four separate money laundering cases against him.

The bench yesterday refused to grant bail to Joy Gopal, although his lawyer Md Qamrul Islam prayed to the HC to grant him bail, saying that there is no evidence of money laundering against Joy Gopal.

The HC deferred the date for judgement on his appeals for two months.

Qamrul Islam requested the bench to deliver the judgment for bail in two or three weeks.

The HC bench told him to be patient and said it is not possible to dispel corruption and money laundering without cooperation from all. 

During the hearing, ACC's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan opposed the bail petitions, saying that the accused petitioner has committed organised crimes by running a casino business and he was involved in money laundering.

Lawyer Md Ozi Ullah appeared for accused Khalilur Rahman and SM Nazmul Hossain and lawyer Mainul Islam argued for Ahsan Habib during the hearings.