A Dhaka court has found senior BNP leader Sadeque Hossain Khoka guilty of acquiring wealth through illegal means. He has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. The court said the charges levelled by the Anti Corruption Commission were proven beyond doubt. The court of Dhaka’s Third Special Judge Abu Ahmed Jamadar gave the verdict on the case filed by the ACC in 2008 during the military-backed caretaker government’s regime. It said that the Khoka acquired wealth worth Tk 100.52 million through illegal means and evaded taxes on assets worth Tk 96.5 million. The court also ordered confiscation of his assets worth Tk 100.52 million. Khoka, a former Dhaka city mayor, has been in the US since May 2014 and the trial has been held in absentia. He has been given a 3-year prison term and fined Tk 100,000 for providing false information on his assets. He would have to spend another month in jail if he fails to pay the fine. Another 10 years rigorous imprisonment has been awarded to Khoka for concealing wealth. He has been fined Tk 1 million for this offence, failing to pay which would mean another 6 months in jail.–bdnews24.com
