Lokman has Tk 41cr stashed abroad: Rab
Mohammedan Sporting Club director in-charge M Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan deposited around Tk 41 crore in two banks in Australia, Rab said yesterday.
“During primary interrogation, Lokman admitted amassing huge sums of money… He has moveable property worth around Tk 3 crore,” Rab-2 Commanding Officer Lt Col Ashique Billah told reporters yesterday.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Since his son is studying in Australia, a major portion of the Tk 41 crore has been deposited in ANZ and Commonwealth banks there.
Meanwhile, the National Board of Revenue yesterday asked all banks to freeze the bank accounts of Lokman and his wife.
A security guard at his building in Monipuripara said his family members were not home.
Rab arrested Lokman Hossain, also a director of Bangladesh Cricket Board, at his residence on Wednesday night with four bottles of liquor.
“We arrested Lokman mainly for his links to a casino,” the CO said.
Since Rab started an “anti-gambling operation” on September 18, Lokman had been hiding in different places, including in Narayanganj.
Lt Col Ashique Billah said Lokman rented out a portion of the club to Mominul Haque Shaeed to run a casino for Tk 70,000 a day.
The casino has been there for nearly two years, he added.
Shaeed, who is in Singapore now, has been running casinos in four sporting clubs. He is a councillor of Dhaka South City Corporation and the general secretary of Bangladesh Hokey Federation.
Lokman rented out the room in line with a resolution of the club’s board, the CO said.
“We are verifying if other directors are involved.”
Rab filed a case against Lokman under the Narcotics Control Act with Tejgaon Police Station yesterday.
Rab may file a case under the Money Laundering Act against him, he said.
FU WANG RAID
Police found nothing illegal at the Fu Wang Club two days ago. But during a raid early yesterday Rab found liquor beyond the permissible limit of Fu Wang’s trade licence. A large number of foreign cigarettes was also seized, Rab said.
Rab arrested three salespersons and sealed the club.
Lt Col Sarwar-Bin-Quashem, director of Rab’s legal and media wing, said nearly three percent of the liquor bottles at the club were stored illegally and the club could not produce the legal papers for all the bottles.
Around 2,000 bottles of spirit, 10,000 cans of Hunter beer and Tk 7 lakh were seized.
DMP COMMISSIONER
The intelligence unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has been asked to identify the policemen who benefited from the casinos, DMP Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said.
“I do not think we will be able to file cases. But if we find any proof [of involvement] of any policeman, we will take departmental action,” the DMP chief told a meeting of the Crime Reporters’ Association Bangladesh.
But he said it was very difficult to make a thorough investigation since those who gave money and those who took it would not admit anything as both were beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the DMP suspended Assistant Sub-inspector Golam Hossain Mithu and constable Dipankar Chakma for their alleged involvement in helping 15 Nepalis, who worked at the club, flee from their Segunbagichha apartments after Rab launched a raid at Fakirerpool Youngmen’s Club on September 18.
Another person seen in a CCTV footage with Mithu and Dipankar is an officer of an intelligence agency.
“Investigation is going on. Action will be taken if they [the policemen] are found guilty,” the DMP commissioner said.
A CCTV footage of the building shows that 15 Nepalis fled after the two policemen and the intelligence agency official came out of their flats.
On Wednesday, DMP “stand released” an Inspector and an ASI of the Detective Branch over allegations of taking bribe.
SHAMIM, BODYGUARDS SHOWN ARRESTED
Golam Kibria Shamim alias GK Shamim and his seven bodyguards were shown arrested yesterday in a money laundering case filed with Gulshan Police Station on Saturday.
The bodyguards are: Delwar Hossain, Murad Hossain, Zahidul Islam, Shahidul Islam, Kamal Hossain, Shamsad Hossain and Aminul Islam.
The charges of investigation of two other cases have been transferred to Rab from the DB. One of the cases was for possessing firearms and the other for possessing drugs.
Besides, Rab will investigate the two cases filed against Dhaka south unit Jubo League Organising Secretary Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan under the Arms Act and Narcotics Control Act.
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