Remand plea for Koko denied for poor health

Trackback URL

Download PDF

A Dhaka court yesterday rejected the seven-day remand prayer for interrogating former premier Khaleda Zia’s younger son Arafat Rahman Koko in the Gatco corruption case considering his physical condition.

Meantime, arrest warrant was issued against former state minister for shipping Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya and his four family members for concealing Tk 5.15 crore in their wealth statements submitted to the ACC.

Another Dhaka court yesterday allowed the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to freeze two bank accounts of detained former housing and public works minister Mirza Abbas in a graft case.

KOKO’S REMAND
Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman passed the order after ACC Deputy Director Jahirul Huda, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, placed the remand prayer mentioning that Koko needs to be quizzed for the sake of investigation.

Opposing the remand prayer, Koko’s lawyers told the court that their client was very ill. Showing photocopies of medical reports, they argued that Koko, who was produced before the court at 11:30am with the help of policemen, could not even stand on the dock properly.

They prayed before the court for providing Koko with proper treatment and to cancel the remand prayer.

After hearing both the sides, the court rejected the remand prayer mentioning that Koko seemed ill. If necessary, the IO will interrogate Koko at the jail gate.

Earlier, Koko was placed on a seven-day remand on September 3. But he was sent to jail before completion of the remand due to his illness.

The ACC filed the case against 13 people including Khaleda and Koko on September 2.

Khaleda was questioned on October 11. Six former ministers of her cabinet and officials of Chittagong Port Authority, Kamalapur ICD yard and Global Agro Trade (Pvt) Co Ltd (Gatco) were also quizzed.

MAYA CASE
Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque yesterday issued arrested warrant against Maya, his wife, their two sons and one of Maya’s daughters-in-law in a graft case.

The court passed the order after the IO of the case prayed for issuance of arrest warrant against the accused who have been absconding.

The other accused are Maya’s wife Parvin Chowdhury, their two sons Sajedul Hossain Chowdhury Dipu and Rashedul Hossain Chowdhury and Dipu’s wife Subarna Chowdhury.

ACC Assistant Director Towfiqul Islam, also the IO of the case, submitted the charge sheet against Maya and four others to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on October 25 showing 40 people as prosecution witnesses.

The IO dropped the names of Maya’s son Rifat Sayeed Chowdhury and Rashed’s wife Farhana Chowdhury from the charge sheet as their involvement was not found in the probe.

ACC Assistant Director Nurul Alam filed the case with Sutrapur Police Station against Maya and six others on June 13 for giving false information in their wealth statements submitted to the ACC.

Moreover, they earned Tk 6.29 crore illegally which was not mentioned in the wealth statements.

ABBAS CASE
Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman yesterday allowed the ACC to freeze two bank accounts of Abbas in a graft case.

The court passed the order after ACC Assistant Director Khairul Huda prayed for freezing two bank accounts that Abbas opened with Dhaka Bank at its Motijheel and Banani branches in the capital for the sake of proper investigation.

The case was filed with Ramna Police Station against Abbas and his wife Afroza Abbas for amassing wealth illegally.

In the case statement, ACC Assistant Director Shafiul Alam said they found that Abbas and his wife have assets worth Tk 3,348,581 which they did not mention in the wealth statements submitted to the ACC earlier.

Joint forces arrested Abbas on the ACC premises at Segunbagicha in the capital on February 25.

CASE OF ZIAUL HAQUE’S SON
Metropolitan Sessions Court Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque issued an arrest warrant against Masfiqul Haque, son of former state minister for LGRD, after National Board of Revenue (NBR) Deputy Tax Commissioner Mamtaz Uddin filed the case against him for evading tax.

In his order, the judge mentioned that the charges brought against Masfiq under sections 165/166 of Income Tax Ordinance 1984 were found to be true.

The NBR official mentioned that Masfiq, proprietor of Royal Filling Station, evaded tax on his income of Tk 36,263,974 in fiscal years from 2002 to 2007.

Leave a Reply