Property of ex-MP Mirza Azam to be attached
A Dhaka court yesterday ordered attachment of property of former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Mirza Azam and a businessman in a graft case.
The same court, meantime, directed the authorities to publish summons in two national Bangla dailies asking Harris Chowdhury, Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim and Shahrin Islam Tuhin, nephew of Khaleda Zia, to turn themselves in by December 10 in two cases that were filed for bribery and tax evasion.
AZAM CASE
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque at Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the attachment order after receiving police reports on arrest warrants the court issued against Azam and Mohammad Ali Khokon, a proprietor director of Metro Spinning Ltd, on November 27.
The High Court earlier stayed the trial proceedings against another accused in the case, Shawkat Ali, also a proprietor director of the spinning mill. The HC also granted him bail until submission of police report on his arrest warrant.
Investigation Officer Mohammad Monaim Hossain, who is also an assistant director at Anti-Corruption Commission, submitted charge sheet against the three men to Dhaka's chief metropolitan magistrate's court on November 20, showing 23 people as prosecution witnesses.
A Rab team recovered a Lexus sport utility vehicle on March 9 from the residence of Shawkat Ali on road No. 113 at Gulshan-2 in the city. The law enforcers later discovered that Azam, also the general secretary of Awami Jubo League, was the original owner of the luxury vehicle.
Sub-Inspector Shawkat Kabir of Rab laid a case with Gulshan Police Station against Azam and the two others the following day.
The complainant said Azam, a corruption suspect on an ACC list, imported the tax-free Lexus on March 25, 2003 and sold it to Shawkat, preparing fake documents.
HARRIS-OBAIDUL
The same court ordered the authorities to publish summons in newspapers after receiving reports on the arrest warrants and attachment orders it issued against Harris Chowdhury and Obaidul Karim in a bribery case that was filed for gross anomalies in Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover contract.
Former BNP lawmaker Ashraf Hossain and Harris's brother-in-law Masud Ahmed and his driver Abdus Salam are also accused in the case and are now behind bars.
The investigation officer submitted charge sheet against the five to chief metropolitan magistrate's court on November 14, showing 27 people as prosecution witnesses.
The charge sheet mentioned that an Infiniti sport utility vehicle was imported duty-free using Ashraf's privilege as a lawmaker though the documents of the vehicle bore Karim's address.
Karim paid around Tk 50 lakh for the SUV while its market value was much higher, said the charge sheet adding that the Orion chairman bribed Harris with the vehicle in order to get work order for the Jatrabari-Gulistan flyover.
The charge sheet said Ashraf, for financial gains, breached his affidavit by transferring the car to Karim.
On June 5, Sub-Inspector Mohammad Abdul Hye filed the case with Dhanmondi Police Station.
TUHIN CASE
The court also ordered the authorities to publish summons against Tuhin in newspapers after receiving report on the property-attachment order it earlier issued against him.
On November 25, Deputy Commissioner (Taxes) Golam Kabir at National Board of Revenue filed the case against him for allegedly evading Tk 8.18 lakh in tax between 1998 and 2007 and concealing Tk 3.29 crore in his wealth information submitted to the revenue board.
The court later issued arrest warrant against him, asking him to appear before the court on November 29. Tuhin, however, failed to comply, prompting the court to attach his property.
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