Ex-GPO operator gets life term for corruption

A Dhaka court yesterday sentenced a former operator of General Post Office to life term imprisonment in a corruption case.

Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jomadar also fined Monsurus Samad Chowdhury Tk 5.93 crore in the case filed by Anti Corruption Commission in 2004 with Motijheel Police Station.

ACC Public Relation Officer Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya said Samad created fake municipality tax, water and electricity bills of different sub-post office worth Tk 5,93,60,000.

After being granted bail, Samad went into hiding, said Deputy Director of ACC Moniruzzaman Khan.

An ACC official said initially CID looked into the case. “The case was transferred to us in 2011. At that time, he found him absconding,” he said.

Prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain Kajal said there are at least 15 more corruption cases against Samad.

Meanwhile, ACC yesterday arrested a suspended assistant general manager of Sonali Bank in a case filed over Hallmark loan scam in Chandpur. On October 7, 2013, the ACC pressed charges against 25 people in 11 cases for swindling over Tk 2,600 crore of the bank. ACC also arrested former Upazila Chiarman of Bhaluka of Mymensingh Tofazzal Hossain for amassing illegal wealth worth Tk 32.74 lakh. A case was filed against Tofazzal on December 14 with Kotwali Police Station on Mymensingh.