Ex-Dhaka mayor Khoka indicted in graft case

A Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against former Dhaka city mayor and BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka and six others in a case filed over irregularities in allocating shops to individuals at Dhaka Trade Centre, Gulistan.

The other accused are former estate officers Mohsin Uddin Moral and Sahabuddin Sabu, former land official Mohammad Ali; and surveyors Mohammad Bachchu Mia, Farroque Hossain and Motaleb Hossain.

Of them, Mohsin, Ali and Bachchu are now on bail while Khoka and three others absconding.

All the three, now on bail, pleaded not guilty and demanded justice after Judge Md Akhtaruzzaman of the Special Judge Court-5 read out the charges to them.

The court fixed September 21 for starting the trial of the case.

On August 24 of 2014, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed the case with Shahbagh Police Station.

According to the prosecution, the accused allocated many of the city corporation market's shops illegally, and in collusion with each other, for a monthly rent of Tk 15 per square feet. To conceal irregularities, they deliberately removed the main allotment documents that were supposed to be kept at the estate department, the case statement said.

Earlier on October 20 of 2015, Khoka was given 13 years' imprisonment for amassing wealth illegally and concealing wealth statement to the ACC.