Money laundering: 21 officials jailed for 10yrs

A Dhaka court today sentenced 21 top officials of a multi-purpose cooperative company including its chairman to ten years imprisonment each in connection with a money laundering case.

Special Judge Syeda Hosne Ara of the Special Judges Court-1 of Dhaka delivered the verdict this noon.

The court also fined Tk 28,66,01,213 each convict and directed the government to confiscate their all the properties.

Among the convicts, Maxim Finance and Commerce Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society Limited's Chairman Muhammad Mofizul Haque and directors Mostafizur Rahman, Khairul Bashar Sajal, Abdul Hannan Sarker, Syed Shariful Islam, Md Oliur Rahman, Fazlur Rahman, Md Asaduzzaman Tapon, Mohammad Solaiman Sarowar, Md Harun-Or-Rashid, Sheikh Abdullah Al Mehedi, Syed Jahidul Islam, Md Monowar Hossain, MA Sadi, Md Aslam Hossain, Mizanur Rahman and Muhammad Habibur Rahman, are on the run.

While the other convicts -- Managing Director Mohammad Habibur Rahman, and directors HM Amirul Islam, Mehedi Hasan Mozaffar and Imtiaz Hossain Kowsir -- are now behind bars.

On May 19, 2014, Deputy Director Nur Hossain Khan of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed a case with Ramna Police Station against 22 top officials including chairman of the cooperative society under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

On April 27, 2016, the ACC approved charge brought against the chairman, managing director and 19 directors of the cooperative society for misappropriating investors' Tk 300,93,12,739.

Maxim Finance and Commerce Multipurpose Cooperative Ltd, located in the capital's Mouchak, promised its investors a monthly profit of Tk 2,000 against each deposit of Tk 1 lakh and Tk 500 to its marketing agents.

But they did not keep their promise, according to the case statement.