Bangladesh News

A special court yesterday handed down five years’ rigorous imprisonment on Mosaddek Ali Falu, detained former BNP lawmaker and political secretary to former premier Khaleda Zia, for misappropriating relief materials.
Judge Tanzina Ismail of the Special Court-6, set up on the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban premises, also fined Falu Tk 5.35 lakh. He will have to serve one more year behind bars if he failed to pay the fine.

The court ordered confiscation of the relief materials and also acquitted the other accused Monirul Islam Sohel, an absconding employee of ntv, as charges brought against him were not proved.

The army-led joint forces seized 982 pieces of corrugated iron (CI) sheet from a labourer’s shed adjacent to Falu’s Dhaka Shanghai Ceramics Factory in Savar on February 9 last year.

The next day, Sub-inspector Ismail Hossain of Ashulia Police Station filed a case against Falu and Sohel for misappropriating the iron sheets meant for relief to the underprivileged. The first information report (FIR) says Falu in connivance with his officials and employees used the CI sheets in his infrastructure.

The case was later brought under the Emergency Power Rules (EPR) on February 18 last year and Sheikh Abdus Salam, assistant director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), was made the investigation officer (IO).

The court framed charges against the accused on February 7 this year.

Asked for reaction, Falu’s counsels told newspersons they will file an appeal with the High Court. They said the factory officials and employees did not see the seal that read “Relief materials of Relief and Rehabilitation Department: Not for Sale”.

Public Prosecutor ASM Golam Fattah told reporters he expected life-term imprisonment since the relief was meant for the destitute. He added Falu misappropriated the relief and benefited financially from it.

Falu was arrested at his Cantonment residence in the capital on charge of corruption on February 6 last year.

Owner of private satellite television channels ntv and Rtv and daily Amar Desh, he is facing five cases — three for misappropriating relief materials and two for concealing information in his wealth statement submitted to ACC and dodging tax.

National Board of Revenue on May 27 filed the last case against him on charge of dodging Tk 2.75 crore income taxes during 1996-2006.