SC rejects bail plea of 2 top Destiny officials

The Supreme Court (SC) today rejected two separate petitions filed by two top Destiny officials seeking bail in two money laundering cases involving Tk 4,200 crore.

The top officials are Destiny Group Managing Director Rafiqul Amin and Destiny Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd Chairman Mohammad Hossain.

Today, the apex court asked the trial court concern to expeditiously hear and dispose of the cases against them.

A six-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order following the bail petitions filed by Rafiqul Amin and Mohmmad Hossain.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Lawyer Advocate Khurshid Alam Khan told The Daily Star that Rafiqul Amin and Mohammad Hossain cannot get released from the jail following the SC order.

Khurshid Alam earlier told The Daily Star that the Supreme Court in 2017 had ruled that Rafiqul Amin and Mohammad Hossain would be released on bail when they pay Tk 28,00 crore to the government by selling 35 lakh matured trees planted under the company’s tree plantation project.

But Rafiqul Amin and Mohammad Hossain did not fulfill the condition, he added.

On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court upheld its earlier order.

In 2012, the ACC filed the cases against 22 officials of Destiny Group, including Rafiqul and Hossain, with Kalabagan Police Station.

Earlier on October 11, 2012, Destiny Group President Lt Gen (retd) M Harun-Ar-Rashid, it's Managing Director Md Rafiqul Amin, and Chairman of Destiny Multipurpose Co-operative Society Ltd Mohammad Hossain, were sent to jail after they surrendered.

The Destiny officials earlier submitted a statement to the SC saying that 35 lakh trees were planted at different places across the country under its tree plantation project. Each tree could be sold at Tk 8,000 on an average and the total amount from the trees would be Tk 2,800 crore.