Haji Selim gets 13yrs for ill-gotten wealth

A special court dealing with corruption cases yesterday sentenced former Awami League lawmaker Haji Mohammad Selim to 13 years imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
The court also sentenced Selim's wife Gulshan Ara to three years' imprisonment for abetting her husband and keeping the ill-gotten wealth in her possession.
She was also fined Tk 1 lakh, in default of which she has to suffer six months more in prison.
Judge Sirajul Islam of Special Judge's Court-7, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, also fined Selim Tk 10 lakh, in default of which he has to suffer another year in jail.
The judge also issued orders for confiscating all his ill-gotten assets worth Tk 27 crore.
Selim and his wife Gulshan Ara, who are on the run, were tried in absentia.
The court ordered that the verdict will take effect from the day of their arrest or surrender before the court.
Selim was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and another three years for concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to the ACC.
ACC Deputy Director Abu Sayeed, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet of the case to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court on April 1, showing 20 people as prosecution witnesses.
In the charge sheet, the IO mentioned that Selim had concealed information about his wealth worth Tk 10,413,936 in his wealth statement submitted to the commission.
It was also cited that Gulshan Ara abetted her husband in amassing wealth illegally and kept ill-gotten wealth worth Tk 4.88 crore in her possession.
Selim in his wealth statement submitted to ACC said he has wealth worth Tk 79.37 lakh.
ACC Assistant Director Mahabubul Alam filed the case with Lalbagh Police Station against Selim and his wife under sections 18 and 26 (1) of the ACC Act, 2004, and section 15(Kha)/5 of the Emergency Power Rules (EPR), 2007 on September 24 last year.
The complainant in the first information report (FIR) said Selim accumulated wealth worth over Tk 14.65 crore beyond his known sources of income.
The FIR also said Selim concealed information about his wealth and properties worth over Tk 87,039,758 in the wealth statement submitted to the ACC.